The Cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, has concluded. During the meeting, 18 significant proposals were approved. Notably, financial powers have been delegated to the Kumbh Mela Officer and the Garhwal Commissioner to oversee permanent and temporary works to be undertaken for the Kumbh Mela. Additionally, the Transport Corporation has received approval to procure 250 new buses. A key highlight is that the educational qualification required for the recruitment of Forest Inspectors (Van Daroga)—previously set at the Intermediate level—has now been raised to the Graduate level.
Proposals Approved During the Cabinet Meeting:
Approval granted for the standardization of uniforms for Senior Enforcement Supervisors, Enforcement Supervisors, and Constables under the Uttarakhand Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2026.
The Kumbh Mela Officer is now authorized to sanction works valued up to ₹1 crore during the Kumbh Mela.
The Garhwal Commissioner is authorized to sanction works valued up to ₹5 crore; works exceeding this limit will require approval at the government (secretariat) level.
Approval granted for amendments to the Uttarakhand State Legal Services Authority Rules, 2026.
The District Soldier Welfare Officer will now serve as an *ex-officio* member of the District Legal Services Authority. A decision was also taken to include acid attack victims within the scope of these services.
Approval granted for amendments to the Uttarakhand Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2023. The royalty rate has been increased from ₹7 per quintal to ₹8 per quintal.
Approval granted for amendments made to the Commercial Tax Department’s rules.
Approval granted for the proposal regarding the procurement of 250 buses for the Transport Department.
The government had previously authorized the Transport Corporation to purchase 100 buses; this number has now been increased to 109. This decision was taken following a reduction in the applicable GST rate from 28% to 18%.
Amendments have been made to the Uttarakhand Subordinate Forest Service Rules, 2016. The educational qualification for the post of Forest Inspector (*Van Daroga*) has been upgraded from Intermediate to Graduate level.
The age limit for the Forest Inspector position has been raised to 21–35 years, while the age limit for the Forest Guard (*Van Rakshak*) has been set at 18–25 years.
An SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) will be formulated by the Department of Personnel regarding the waiting list for single-cadre positions. Additionally, during the Cabinet meeting, the Education Department’s ‘Uttarakhand Special Education Teacher Rules’ received approval. The ‘Uttarakhand Sanskrit Education Academic Cadre Service Rules, 2026’ were also approved. The Dhami Cabinet addressed the recruitment drive conducted by the Public Works Department (PWD) in 2023, which involved 2,010 posts. Of these, seven posts were reserved for candidates belonging to the Divyang (differently-abled) category; however, due to the unavailability of suitable candidates in this category, general candidates were recruited instead. Consequently, a decision was taken to create six additional posts specifically for the Divyang category.
Regarding the provision of pensions to ‘Work-Charged Employees’ under the Finance Department—specifically concerning how pensions would be disbursed and the extent of their service tenure to be counted—a government order had previously been issued. However, some individuals challenged this order in court, following which the court issued a stay order. This matter was subsequently placed before the Cabinet for consideration. Under the ‘Uttarakhand Procurement Rules, 2025,’ the financial ceiling for work contracts awarded to listed ‘Category D’ contractors has been increased from ₹1 crore to ₹1.50 crore.
In alignment with the National Education Policy, the ‘Chief Minister’s Higher Education Research Promotion Scheme’ was launched for government colleges across the state. Consequently, the 21 non-governmental aided colleges within the state—which currently have regular Principals in place—will also be eligible to avail the benefits of this scheme. Furthermore, the Forest Department has formulated a policy regarding the practice of beekeeping within forest boundaries, to which the Cabinet has accorded its approval.
