To ensure smooth flow of traffic on the highways, the state government on Friday decided to abolish toll barriers on the bridges. The decision, however, will not apply to the bridges on national highways.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Mayawati.

Toll tax barriers are erected at bridges for the recovery of the cost of the construction, through contractors. But such barriers lead to major traffic jams, causing discomfort to commuters and delay in transportation of essential commodities.

The Cabinet also decided that six medical and two para-medical colleges, which are under construction, would be on the basis of public-private-partnership model.

Among other decision taken, the Cabinet also approved setting up of six medical colleges on the PPP model. The institutes are being financed from the special component plan, are being built in Kannauj, Azamgarh, Jalaun, Ambedkar Nagar, Banda and Saharanpur, while two new para-medical colleges are being set up at Jhansi and Saifai. Each college will have 100 seats.

According to the government, since the private sector has not shown interest in investing in medical colleges, the government has decided to run these colleges on PPP model.

The Cabinet also approved the molasses policy for 2009-10. In view of the fall in sugarcane production, the ban on the export of molasses will continue. For this season, the government has also banned the export of molasses to Uttarakhand.

The government amended the eligibility criteria for allotment of houses under the Mahamaya Housing Scheme. Now, the beneficiary does not need to be on the BPL list. The SC/ST applicants, who are shelterless or are living in the slums, will also be eligible under the scheme.