HIMACHAL PRADESH CABINET APPROVES MAJOR RECRUITMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND POLICY REFORMS. 

Cabinet Greenlights Over 4,000 Job Posts, CBSE Affiliation, New Tehsils, Dialysis Centres, and Start-Up Scheme for Hospitality Sector. 

Shimla:

In a major push to address manpower shortages, improve public services, and promote sustainable development, the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, held a comprehensive meeting on Monday, approving a wide array of decisions spanning employment, healthcare, infrastructure, and governance reforms.

Massive Recruitment Drive Across Departments

In a bid to bolster staff strength in key sectors, the Cabinet approved the engagement and recruitment for over 4,000 posts, including:

• 1,602 Bijli Upbhogta Mitras in the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited to improve service delivery and address staffing shortages.
• 1,000 T/Mate posts in the electricity department.
• 645 Patwaris on a trainee basis under the State Cadre.
• 400 Staff Nurses as Job Trainees in various state medical colleges.
• 300 Job Trainees in Gram Panchayats to support Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• 200 Medical Officers as Job Trainees in the Health Department.
• 38 Assistant Professors in specialties like Cardiology, Neurology, Urology, and Gastroenterology in government medical colleges.
• 25 Steno-Typists for the H.P. Secretariat.
• Police personnel for Parwanoo and Dharampur Police Stations in Solan to enhance National Highway security.
• Additional posts for Lokayukta and the restructured Department of Environment, Science, Technology, and Climate Change.

Additionally, the Cabinet allowed placement of 106 surplus staff (45 teaching, 61 non-teaching) from seven de-notified colleges into the surplus pool of the Directorate of Higher Education.

Healthcare Gets a Major Boost

With a focus on strengthening rural and specialized healthcare:

• 28 new dialysis centres will be established in ‘Adarsh Swasthya Sansthans’ across nine districts.
• The Medical Officer cadre will be bifurcated into General and Specialist categories for better service delivery.
• Recruitment of 200 Medical Officers and 400 Staff Nurses was approved.

Education Reforms: CBSE Affiliation and Staff Pooling

The Cabinet gave the green signal for the affiliation of 100 Government Schools with CBSE from the next academic session, aimed at standardizing curriculum and improving competitiveness.

Governance and Administrative Reorganization

To improve administrative efficiency:

• A new Sub Tehsil at Saach in Pangi (Chamba) will be opened.
• Chadiyar Sub Tehsil (Kangra) will be upgraded to a full Tehsil.
• A new Patwar Circle at Nangal will be created by restructuring Hatali and Malhanta Patwar Circles.
• Development Blocks of Bhoranj, Bamson, and Sujanpur in Hamirpur district will be reorganized.
• A new Jal Shakti Sub-Division at Harsi (Haler) under Jaisinghpur division will be established.

Tourism and Start-Up Support

The Cabinet launched the ‘Chief Minister Start-Up Scheme in the Hospitality Industry’, encouraging self-employment among Himachalis. The scheme offers interest subsidies on loans for homestay development:

• 3% in urban areas
• 4% in rural areas
• 5% in tribal areas

In addition, tandem paragliding pilots will now be required to complete a Paragliding Safety Course by August 31, 2026, enhancing adventure tourism safety.

Key Policy Reforms and Infrastructure Initiatives

• Lease period for HIMUDA extended to 80 years, ensuring affordable housing.
• Land leasing approved for Green Hydrogen and Solar/CBG Power Projects at 13 sites.
• Extension of land acquisition period for Kangra Airport by 24 months, up to June 3, 2026.
• Rule-7 of H.P. Lease Rules, 2013 amended to facilitate HIMUDA operations.
• Renewal of land lease to Sangya Choling Association, Sanjauli (Shimla) for 40 years.

Law & Order and Empowering Police

The Cabinet empowered qualified Police Constables under Section 176(1) of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, to investigate cases involving offences punishable with up to 3 years’ imprisonment or fine, subject to training and eligibility.

Regulatory Reforms and Social Welfare

• Model by-laws approved for regulating rural construction, considering recent monsoon devastations.
• Amendments to the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog Rules, 2024, now allow conditional applications for OBC, EWS, and BPL candidates.
• 10% of the Local Area Development Fund (LADF) can now be allocated to financially assist children in the State.

Controversial Pay Notification Withdrawn

The Cabinet withdrew the September 6, 2025 notification on Higher Grade Pay, which had impacted 89 categories of employees, potentially to reassess or replace the policy.

These decisions reflect the Sukhu-led government’s focus on strengthening service delivery, supporting employment generation, modernizing healthcare and education, and ensuring inclusive growth across Himachal Pradesh.