The Uttarakhand Cabinet Monday decided to give 10 per cent reservation in government jobs for statehood agitators and increase the allocation under MLA area development fund from Rs 3.75 crore to Rs 5 crore, sources said.

The cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami here, also decided to allot Rs 40 lakh for Mahila Mangal Dals, comprising local women who work as sports trainers, instead of Rs 25 lakh.

There was no cabinet briefing after the meeting as the Assembly is in session and the rules don't permit it. The Cabinet approved the state's new solar energy policy and also gave its nod to constituting an authority on land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement in every district under the chairmanship of a district judge or an additional district judge, sources said.

It also gave its clearance to give 8.69 hectares to the ITBP's 7th battalion in Pithoragarh.

State Congress vice-president Dhirendra Pratap welcomed the cabinet's decision to grant a 10 per cent reservation to statehood agitators saying, "Better late than never".

"Former chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari had dreamt of quota for statehood agitators in 2005 itself," he said.

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