Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 3 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday distributed appointment letters to the candidates selected for various posts in the Irrigation department and the state's transport corporation.

The distribution ceremony was held at the CM's residence in Dehradun.

CM Dhami congratulated and wished 43 eligible candidates for the post of conductor under the deceased dependent quota in the Transport Corporation.

He also handed over the appointment letters to the 129 newly selected draftsmen and 15 newly selected tubewell mechanics under the Irrigation Department.

On Saturday, CM 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 Commission, from January 01, 2025, the Chief Minister's office said in a press release.

The increase would be done 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.

Earlier, CM Dhami on Saturday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he released the 20th instalment of the 'Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana', in Varanasi, transferring Rs 20,500 crores to 9.7 cr farmers.

Addressing an occasion, CM Dhami highlighted that over eight lakh farmers in Uttarakhand will benefit from this initiative. (ANI)