Ranchi: The cabinet on Tuesday heavily slashed fees for mandatory tests to be conducted by district environmental social impact assessment authority and district environment appraisal committee before mining minor minerals such as sand.

Home principal secretary S.K.G. Rahate, also additionally in charge of cabinet coordination, explained that to carry out mining operations over an acre, fees for tests would now reduce from the current Rs 10,000 to Rs 5,000. Likewise, for mining operations between 5 acres and 12.5 acres, testing charges will be down from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 50,000.

The cabinet also approved Rs 15.77 crore each to set up degree colleges in Kolebira (Simdega), Dumri and Pirtaand (Bokaro), Jarmundi (Dumka), Hussainabad (Palamau), Mahagama (Godda) and Jharia (Dhanbad).

Rahate said the cabinet agreed to set up a new Nagar Panchayat in Chatra and hinted at another decision related state government officials, but said their formal announcement was subject to state election commission's nod as the model code of conduct was in force for upcoming civic polls. A source said the decision related to babus was implementing the Seventh Pay Commission.

Other decisions

• Services of Palamau executive magistrate Satish Kumar terminated for allegedly accepting a bribe as Palkot BDO

• Estimate for a 30-bed community health centre in Patna block of Sahebganj hiked from Rs 3.53 crore to Rs 5.83 crore

• Time-bound promotions for faculty at PMCH, Dhanbad and MGMCH, Jamshedpur, approved as per MCI norms

• Sixth pay commission benefits to contract teachers and employees of polytechnics

• Fees and procedure for admission to state and private BEd colleges changed

• MoU draft to hand over State Yoga Centre building to Vyakti Vikas Kendra approved