Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that women have an important role in the development of the society and they are touching new heights in every field of life. He was addressing the 'Nari Tu Narayani' programme organized by the daily newspaper Himachal Dastak, here on Monday.

He expressed happiness that this programme was celebrated in honour of women for achieving great achievements in various fields. There was a time when women were confined to household chores and the inclination towards educating girls in the society was very low and they were also prevented from working outside the house. He said that for a long time half the population was deprived of intellectual and economic development but with the change in time, the social status of women has changed.

He said that it was a matter of great pride that today women have emerged as an inspiration for others by creating a unique identity in every field of society with their dedication, hard work, determination and ability. The present state government had started many ambitious schemes for the upliftment of women. The Mukya Mantri Vidhwa evam Ekal Nari Awaas Yojna had been launched to provide a grant of Rs 3 lakh to economically weak widows and single women for construction of house. Apart from this, the government had also increased the incentive under the widow remarriage scheme from Rs 65 thousand to Rs 2 lakh.

The Chief Minister said that it was due to the efforts of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi that women got 33 percent reservation in Panchayati Raj Institutions as a result of which their participation in development at the grassroots level had been ensured. He said that the MLA from the largest district Lahaul-Spiti was also a woman and all the big administrative officers posted there were also women, which shows the respect of the present government towards women.

He announced to give Rs 51,000 each to the honoured women on behalf of the state government and also distributed awards to the Narayanis of Season-4 for commendable work in various fields besides the Engineering Icon of Himachal, Civil Excellence Award-2025 to the engineers of different departments for their excellent work in their respective fields. He also released the Green Himachal based souvenir of Himachal Dastak.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, MLAs Sudarshan Bablu and Anuradha Rana, Chief Minister's Principal Advisor (Media) Naresh Chauhan, Chief Minister's Principal Advisor (IT and Innovation) Gokul Butail, Secretary to the Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, Chairman of Himachal Dastak newspaper K.D. Sridhar, Editor Hemant Kumar, Bureau Chief Mast Ram Dalel, Director Information and Public Relations Department Rajiv Kumar were present on this occasion.

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Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Moday visited disaster-affected areas in the Chamba sub-division to assess the current situation. He listened to the problems faced by the affected people and instructed the concerned departments to ensure prompt action for their resolution.

The Governor inspected the landslide-affected section of the National Highway in Gram Panchayat Kariyan. He reviewed the damaged sections of the National Highway at  Kalsuin and Gharwala and also inspected Lothal Ghar.

The Governor offered prayers at the historic-religious site, Trilochan Mahadev Temple, near Gharwala and sought the well-being and prosperity of the people of the state.

Deputy Commissioner, Chamba, Mukesh Repswal detailed the Governor information regarding the damages caused by the disaster and the steps taken by the district administration for restoration.

MLAs Neeraj Nayar, Vipin Parmar, Dr. Janak Raj, D.S. Thakur, BJP District President Dheeraj Naryal, Governor's Secretary C.P. Verma, , SP Abhishek Yadav, senior officers from various departments and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation were present on the occasion.

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        In a meeting  held here on Monday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the State Cabinet approved the engagement of 1,602 Bijli Upbhogta Mitras in Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited to overcome the acute shortage of field staff and ensure quality services to consumers. It was also decided to fill up 1000 posts of T/Mates.

The Cabinet also gave its approval to fill 645 posts of Patwaris on trainee basis under the State Cadre.

It sanctioned the filling up of 400 posts of Staff Nurses as Job Trainees in various medical colleges across the State. 

Additionally, the Cabinet approved the engagement of 300 Job Trainees in Gram Panchayats to build a pool of trained manpower for Panchayati Raj Institutions through training, exposure and assistance on a fixed monthly stipend.

To further strengthen healthcare services, the Cabinet decided to engage 200 Medical Officers as Job Trainees in the health department across the State.

It approved to create and fill up 38 posts of Assistant Professors in Cardiology, Neurology, Urology and Gastroenterology in the medical colleges in the State.

The Cabinet also approved the creation of 25 posts of Steno-Typists in the H.P. Secretariat.

Further, it approved filling of requisite posts of different categories for Police Stations at Parwanoo and Dharampur in Solan district to strengthen policing on National Highway. 

The Cabinet gave its nod for the restructuring of the department of Environment, Science, Technology and Climate Change to streamline its functioning, along-with the creation and filling of five new posts of different categories. It further sanctioned the filling of one post each of Computer Operator and Junior Scale Stenographer.

It was decided to create and fill two posts of JOA (IT) in the office of Lokayukta, Himachal Pradesh. The Cabinet permitted placing 45 teaching and 61 non-teaching staff from seven de-notified colleges into the surplus pool of the Directorate of Higher Education.

The Cabinet approved to withdraw the notification issued on September 6, 2025, concerning Higher Grade Pay, which had been intended to benefit 89 categories of the employees.

It also approved the affiliation of 100 Government Schools with the CBSE from the next academic session.

It agreed the launch of the ‘Chief Minister Start-Up Scheme in the Hospitality Industry’ to promote self-employment opportunities for bonafide Himachalis in the tourism and hospitality sectors. The scheme aims to provide financial relief on loans taken for establishing new homestays as well as for upgrading existing ones. Under the scheme, an interest subsidy of 3 percent in urban areas, 4 percent in rural areas and 5 percent in tribal areas will be provided across the State.

To strengthen healthcare facilities, the Cabinet gave its nod to establish 28 dialysis centres in ‘Adarsh Swasthya Sansthans’ of nine districts, ensuring better health services for patients closer to their homes.

The Cabinet approved the bifurcation of the Medical Officer (General) cadre into Medical Officer (General) and Medical Officer (Specialists) to deliver more specialized healthcare services to the people of the State.

The Cabinet also approved an amendment to the existing provisions to allow 10 percent of the total Local Area Development Fund (LADF) annually to be utilized for providing financial assistance to the children of the State.

Further, it allowed amendments to the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog (Business and Procedure) Rules, 2024, granting time to candidates who do not possess valid certificates such as OBC, EWS and BPL at the time of application, subject to submission of undertakings.

To ensure planned construction activities in rural areas, the Cabinet approved model by-laws for regulating construction in villages, particularly in light of the devastation caused during recent monsoon seasons.

The Cabinet also gave its nod to empower Police Constables under Section 176(1) of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The Constables who hold a graduate degree from a recognized university, have completed at least seven years of service, undergone six weeks of special training at a detective training school or police training college, passed the prescribed examination and have no departmental inquiry pending against them, will now be authorized to investigate cases punishable with imprisonment of up to three years or with fine.

The Cabinet decided to open a new Sub Tehsil at Saach in Pangi Tehsil of Chamba district, along-with the creation and filling of requisite posts.

It approved the creation of a new Patwar Circle at Nangal by restructuring the existing Hatali and Malhanta Patwar Circles in Sub Tehsil Rey of Kangra district.

Further, the Cabinet decided to upgrade Sub Tehsil Chadiyar in Kangra district to full Tehsil status, with creation and filling of requisite posts.

 The approval was given for the reorganization of Bhoranj, Bamson and Sujanpur Development Blocks in Hamirpur district, keeping in view the convenience of the people at large.

It also put its seal to open a new Jal Shakti Sub-Division Harsi at Haler under division Jaisinghpur in Kangra district.

It gave its nod to amend Rule-7 of the H.P. Lease Rules, 2013 to allow land lease in favour of HIMUDA for 80 years, enabling the authority to continue providing safe and affordable housing to people at genuine rates.

The Cabinet further approved the renewal of lease of Government land in favour of the Sangya Choling Association, Sanjauli (Shimla) for an additional 40 years.

To strengthen adventure tourism safety, it was decided to make it mandatory for all Tandem Pilots registered with the Department of Tourism to complete the Simulation during Flights – Paragliding Safety Course on or before 31st August, 2026, ensuring the safety of tourists engaged in paragliding activities.

The Cabinet approved leasing out land for establishing a Green Hydrogen Plant and Solar/CBG Power Projects at 13 sites across the State.

The Cabinet also gave its approval to extend the period for issuance of acquisition of land for Kangra Airport by 24 months, up to 3^rd June, 2026.

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          Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that Himachal Pradesh had to fight for its rightful share on several issues. He noted that despite the expiry of the lease period of Shanan hydroelectric project situated in Himachal Pradesh, it had not been given back to the state from Punjab and arrears due from BBMB had also been delayed due to obstructions posed by Punjab and Haryana, despite a Supreme Court decision.

“Punjab and Haryana are our elder brothers, and they should extend support generously to their younger brother,” the Chief Minister emphasized.

He was speaking at the valedictory session of the two-day national cooperative conference late evening on Sunday at Shimla, where he inaugurated the Cyber Security Operations Centre of Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank, besides launching the bank’s cooperative anthem and releasing a souvenir.

Extending greetings on the successful event, the Chief Minister stated that despite challenging geography and small land holdings, cooperatives in Himachal Pradesh had been playing a crucial role in strengthening the rural economy. He recalled that the cooperative movement in Himachal began in 1904 and received a major boost after full statehood in 1971. Currently, over 5,000 cooperative societies were active in the State, including nearly 2,000 primary agricultural credit societies that provide essential financial services to farmers and rural households.

Responding to a request from Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, he assured that the state government would consider providing relaxations under Section 118 to cooperative societies for purchasing land for business purposes. He also asked the State Cooperative Bank to introduce a one-time settlement policy to help small farmers, orchardists, workers, and traders become debt-free.

Sh. Sukhu stated that the state government had dissolved the Board of Kangra Central Cooperative Bank due to irregularities during the previous regime and reaffirmed that it would not tolerate misuse of public resources. He further said that the Congress government was bringing major reforms in education, health and the rural economy sectors.

He said that Himachal had moved from 21st to 5th position in the country’s education rankings in 2025 and was now striving for the top spot. The State had also retained its pride of being fully literate. On health reforms, he said, “Modern equipments are being provided in leading hospitals, with an outlay of Rs 300 crore this year. Robotic surgery has already been introduced in two government health Institutions to offer better treatment to the people of the State.”

He said despite suffering losses of nearly Rs. 20,000 crore due to natural calamities over the past three years, the state had continued to sustain the pace of development. Referring to the safe rescue of 16,000 devotees stranded during the Manimahesh Yatra in Chamba district, he said that the spirit of compassion and service runs deep in Himachal’s culture, with local people ensuring that no stranded pilgrim went without food or assistance.

To strengthen the rural economy, the Chief Minister said that women’s self-help groups were being promoted under the ‘Him-Era’ brand, while milk procurement had been increased significantly following a historic Rs. 21 per litre hike in milk prices, with MILKFED now collecting 2.5 lakh litres daily from the farmers thereby strengthening their economy. Natural farming was also being encouraged with assured support prices, and women and youth groups were being linked to forest conservation activities by offering incentives.

Union Minister of State for Cooperatives Krishna Pal Gurjar congratulated Himachal Pradesh on achieving 100 percent literacy and underlined the Centre’s initiatives to strengthen the cooperative sector under the leadership of Union Minister Amit Shah. He said the Union Government had launched the “Sehkaar Taxi Sewa”, from which the people of Himachal could benefit, given the state’s immense potential in tourism. He further suggested that Himachal’s institutions could be linked with the newly established Tribhuvan Sehkari University and assured that the Centre would consider special fee concessions for hill states.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said the cooperative movement began in 1892 in Himachal Pradesh from Panjawar in Una district and since then this sector had made remarkable progress. Today, cooperative banks in the State hold deposits of nearly Rs. 60,000 crore and people’s trust in cooperatives must be preserved, he said.

Uttarakhand’s Cooperative Minister Dhan Singh Rawat shared that over 10 lakh farmers in Uttarakhand had received agricultural loans through cooperatives and the State aims to connect 15 lakh people with the movement, with a strong focus on women empowerment.

Health Minister Dr.(Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, HP State Cooperative Bank Chairman Devender Shyam, Jogindra Central Bank Chairman Mukesh Sharma, HP State Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Chairman Sanjay Singh Chauhan, HIMUDA Vice Chairman Yashwant Chhajta, NAFSCOB Chairman K. Ravindra Rao, Joint Secretary to the Government of India Raman Kumar and representatives of cooperative bodies from across the country attended the event. 

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Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla distributed food and relief material to the disaster affected people today in the auditorium of Banikhet Nagar Panchayat under sub-division Dalhousie of district Chamba.

Addressing the people on this occasion, the Governor said that Himachal Pradesh has been becoming sensitive to natural disasters for the last few years.

Emphasizing the need for conservation and promotion of natural resources, Shiv Pratap Shukla said that the frequency of disasters in the state has increased since the year 2023. This has not only caused loss of life and wealth but development works have also been affected.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided an amount of Rs. 1500 crore to the state government for relief and rehabilitation work during his recent visit to the state. He also said that after visiting the disaster affected districts, the Prime Minister has also assured to give additional relief amount to the state on the basis of assessment done by Union Ministers and Inter-Ministerial Central Team.

Shiv Pratap Shukla expressed gratitude to the Central Government and the Government of Uttar Pradesh for sending food and relief material to the state. Considering the demand for additional food and relief material in view of the conditions in the area, he asked the public representatives to send the list to the office of Secretary to the Governor and State Red Cross and Deputy Commissioner and Chairman District Red Cross.

The Governor appreciated the morale and courage shown by the people of the area during the disaster. He said that people faced adverse circumstances with patience, courage and unity.

He expressed hope that all the arrangements in the district will be normal in the next two-three months.

During this time, he also flagged-off relief material vehicles for various areas.

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla took stock of various disaster affected areas. He inspected various disaster-affected sites of National Highway 154-A and damaged area near Banikhet town, Kakiyana village and disaster-affected area near Chauhda. He gave necessary instructions to the concerned departmental officers.

On this occasion, MLA Vipin Parmar, Dr. Hansraj and DS Thakur also expressed their views.

Former MLA Bikram Singh Jaryal, Pawan Nayyar, BJP District President Dheeraj Naryal, Secretary to the Governor CP Verma, Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal, Superintendent of Police Abhishek Yadav, SDM Anil Bhardwaj and other dignitaries of the area were present on this occasion.

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NIFT Delhi graduate Akshita Sharma today presented an artwork to Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. The artwork, inspired by the mud-washed walls of Spiti and Lahaul, blends earth with essence and incorporates agate and jasper stones traditionally used in Himalayan jewellery. These stones, embedded into the surface, serve not only as cultural markers but also as carriers of grounding and protective energies. The Chief Minister lauded Akshita’s efforts, congratulating her for reviving heritage crafts, curating meaningful cultural showcases and creating new product lines that celebrate Himachal’s rich traditions.

A 2016 graduate of NIFT Delhi, Akshita Sharma is a designer and creative consultant working at the intersection of craft, culture and contemporary design. Over the past five years, she has collaborated with artisan clusters and government bodies across Himachal Pradesh. Her practice spans design interventions, artisan empowerment, exhibition curation, and market linkages, with a strong focus on sustainability and storytelling.

From reviving the hemp Pulla craft in Gadagushaini to curating gifts for the  Prime Minister, the President of India, and spiritual leader Sadhguru, Akshita has been at the forefront of showcasing Himachal’s heritage in modern contexts. She also represented the state at the G20 Summit in New Delhi. Continuing her mission, Akshita works closely with institutions, startups, and artisan communities to ensure that craft remains a living and evolving part of everyday life in her home state.

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