Himachal Cabinet Approves Key Infrastructure, Welfare, and Employment Measures.
Shimla:
In a significant move, the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has approved a series of major decisions aimed at improving governance, welfare, and infrastructure in the state. During its latest meeting, the Cabinet approved the upgradation of three Municipal Councils to Municipal Corporations and two Nagar Panchayats to Municipal Councils. Additionally, the creation of six new Nagar Panchayats was greenlit, alongside an expansion of the jurisdictional areas of several Urban Local Bodies.
In a bid to enhance the welfare of public sector workers, the Cabinet also sanctioned an increase in the honorarium for Multi-Task Workers in the Public Works Department, raising their monthly pay from Rs. 4,500 to Rs. 5,000.
A key welfare initiative was the in-principle approval to extend the benefits of the Aayushman Bharat Yojna to all elderly individuals aged 70 and above. The Cabinet also decided to provide an additional top-up cover of Rs. 5 lakh per annum for those already registered under the scheme.
Further, the Cabinet authorized a financial assistance scheme for the construction of homes for widows, single destitute women, and Divyang women with an annual income under Rs. 2.5 lakh, under the HP Building and Other Construction Welfare Board.
In a bid to support abandoned and surrendered children, the Cabinet expanded the benefits of the Mukhyamantri Sukh-ashray Yojana to include individuals up to 27 years of age.
The Cabinet also approved several measures aimed at boosting employment and healthcare infrastructure. This includes the creation of 30 posts for Senior Resident Doctors and 326 ancillary staff in Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur, alongside the establishment of a new Police Post in the medical college premises. Additional staffing approvals were made for the Departments of Fisheries, Excise and Taxation, and the HP State Public Service Commission.
A key educational development includes the introduction of a new M. Tech course in Electric Vehicle Technology at Government Hydro Engineering College, Bandla, and a diploma in Computer Engineering and Internet of Things at Government Polytechnic College, Hamirpur.
In an effort to boost local agriculture and employment, the Cabinet gave approval for a winery to be set up in Parala, Shimla, by the Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation. This move is expected to help apple growers in the region and generate local employment.
Finally, to ease congestion in Shimla, the Cabinet approved the relocation of the HP Building and Other Construction Welfare Board office from Shimla to Hamirpur.
