U’khand extends 2-yr child care leave for single fathers

Uttarakhand’s Pushkar Singh Dhami government has decided to extend a two-year child care leave (CCL) facility to single male parents which, until now, was available only to mothers in a similar ruling made by the Centre.

The Dhami Cabinet has also decided to increase the cow care grant by more than 260 per cent from `30 to `80 for the upkeep of stray bovines kept in government-sponsored gosadans (cowsheds).

The Dhami government’s decision is aimed at rationalising it with a similar decision of the Central government offering 720-day CCL only to women employees.

Significantly, the Uttarakhand government has extended its CCL benefit to male single parents as well. The ruling stamped by the state Cabinet states that CCL will be available only till the kids are below 12 years.

As per the Cabinet decision, single parents will include unmarried, widower, divorced male government servants, and unmarried female government servants. However, there will be no CCL age restriction if the child has 40 per cent or more disability, informed state chief secretary S.S. Sandhu.

In another important step for the upkeep of stray bovines kept in the government-sponsored gosadans, the Dhami Cabinet has increased its rate of grant from `30 to `80 per cow per day.

According to the Cabinet decision, the government will follow the NGO model to operate the gosadans and NGOs already working will be given preference for the same.

The state government will also bear the cost of constructing a gosadan if land is already available with the NGO.

The animal husbandry department will be the nodal department for grant disbursement of the upkeep of the destitute cattle kept in cowsheds.

Reportedly, Uttarakhand collects a special cess on liquor sales for the keeping of cows in gosadans.

Currently, the cowsheds are maintained by Uttarakhand Animal Welfare Board under the aegis of the state animal husbandry department.

The Dhami government has also decided to hand out 90 per cent of the earnings of the new ecotourism destinations to the local organisations engaged in running these tourist places under the PPP mode.