Ranchi, Nov. 20: The state cabinet today sanctioned Rs 127.33 crore for the repairing and widening of the controversial Hatgamharia-Kiriburu road. Revising the estimate by 2.5 times, the cabinet today granted administrative sanction for the ambitious project.

Chief Minister Madhu Koda said the technical sanction would be sought for the project soon. Thereafter, the tenders would be floated.

A sum of Rs 2.84 crore would be spent on constructing each kilometre of the 44.8 km road that links Hatgamharia with Karo via Jagannathpur, Bara Jamda and Baraiburu.

Reasoning the enhancement of the carriage width of the road to 7m, cabinet secretary Aditya Swaroop said: “It is a very busy road. Over 2,200 heavy vehicles ply on it everyday.”

The cabinet also approved the construction of 49 check dams in the next two years. A sum of Rs 34.35 crore sanctioned for this project would be taken as loan from the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund.

The stipend of interns, house surgeons and post graduate students working at Patliputra Medical College and Hospital, Dhanbad and Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jamshedpur have been revised. The interns will now get Rs 3,750 per month instead of Rs 2,750 while surgeons will get Rs 4,750 per month against the previous Rs 4,000. The revised stipend of first, second and third year students is Rs 9,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 10,800 respectively.

The cabinet also changed categories of posts in government services. They will now be Grade A, B, C and D. The cabinet also approved payment of 29 per cent dearness allowance to all state government employees and pensioners with effect from July 1, 2006.

The Jharkhand Wakf Tribunal will be headed by a officer of the rank of a district judge who will also function as a member of the tribunal.

Meanwhile, retired Justice Gursharan Sharma has been appointed as the chairman of the Jharkhand State Consumer Protection Commission. The tenure of Jharkhand State Law Commission, too, has been extended by two years and retired Justice Anil Kumar Sinha will continue to head it.

Commercial taxes officer Rajendra Prasad Singh has been promoted to assistant commissioner of commercial taxes with effect from September 9, 1997, in the wake of a High Court order. Fodder scam convict Krishna Murari Sinha has been terminated with effect from October 14, 2005. He worked as a touring veterinary officer at Sahebganj.

The cabinet also approved the recent London tour of tourism minister Harnarayan Rai along with the officials of his department with retrospective effect. The prorogue of state Assembly, too, was approved.