Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 2 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) OBC Morcha National President and Rajya Sabha MP Dr K Laxman met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at his residence on Saturday in a courtesy visit.

They discussed various contemporary topics during their meeting.

Earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami approved the increase in the existing rate of dearness allowance admissible to those employees of the State Government and State Autonomous Bodies/Undertakings who are drawing their salaries and allowances in the pay band/grade pay applicable as per the recommendations of the Fifth and Sixth Central Pay Commissions, from January 1.

The increase would be from 455 per cent to 466 per cent for the fifth pay scale and from 246 per cent to 252 per cent per month for the sixth pay scale.

He has approved the release of an amount of Rs 40 crore as the first instalment while approving a scheme of Rs 516 crore for the slope stabilisation work plan of the disaster-affected area of Joshimath in Chamoli district.

The Chief Minister has also approved the release of an amount of Rs 200 crore through reappropriation in anticipation of the amount to be received as the central share from the Government of India for the ongoing works under the centrally funded Jal Jeevan Mission program.

The Chief Minister has also approved the release of an amount of Rs 200 crore through reappropriation in anticipation of the amount to be received as the central share from the Government of India for the ongoing works under the centrally funded Jal Jeevan Mission program.

The Chief Minister has approved Rs 350 lakh for Uttarakhand Drinking Water Corporation and Rs 10 lakh for Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan for programs such as NABARD, State Sector, EAP, and Ring Fencing, as part of the self-project undertaken by Uttarakhand Drinking Water Corporation. Approval has been given for the release of an amount of Rs 150 lakh.

The Chief Minister has also approved a scheme of Rs 11 crore for strengthening and protective work of Ramjhula bridge located at Munikireti in the Narendra Nagar assembly constituency of Tehri Garhwal district under the State Plan. (ANI)