Himachal Cabinet Clears Major Push for Health, Education, Infrastructure and Livelihoods.
Shimla:
The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, in a meeting held here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, took a series of far-reaching decisions aimed at strengthening the health sector, boosting education, improving infrastructure and enhancing livelihood opportunities across the State.
To reinforce medical education and healthcare services, the Cabinet approved filling 53 posts of Assistant Professors and 121 posts of various teaching and non-teaching categories, including paramedical staff, in all government medical colleges. In a major boost to nursing services, approval was also given to create 600 posts of Assistant Staff Nurses through the HP Rajya Chayan Aayog, Hamirpur, under the Assistant Staff Nursing Policy. Additionally, faculty doctors possessing Doctorate of Medicine (DM) and Master of Chirurgiae (MCh) qualifications will now receive an incentive of 20 percent of their basic pay.
The Cabinet also sanctioned filling 40 vacant posts of Job Trainees, Junior Engineer (Civil) in the Jal Shakti Vibhag and approved direct recruitment for 10 posts of Block Development Officer in the Department of Rural Development.
In the education sector, the Cabinet approved the creation of a dedicated sub-cadre for CBSE schools with clearly defined recruitment, training, tenure and performance evaluation norms in 100 identified schools. It also adopted the Functional Equivalence Model (FEM) for Assistant and Associate Professors in Applied Sciences and Humanities across five government engineering colleges, creating a common academic pool without constituting transfers or deputations. Further, approval was accorded to establish the University of Multidisciplinary Institute of Innovation, Skill, Technology, Entrepreneurship and Research (MIISTER) at Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district on a Public-Private Partnership mode to promote innovation, skills and entrepreneurship.
The Cabinet expanded the ambit of the Mukhya Mantri Sukh Aashray Yojna by including children studying in Tong-Len School, Dharamshala, children of disabled parents with 70 percent or more disability, and children where one parent is deceased and the other has abandoned them.
In a major urban development decision, the Cabinet gave its nod to build a world-class township at Shitalpur on the Himachal-Chandigarh border. It also approved amendments to Rule-3 of the Himachal Pradesh Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Rules, 2017, to promote transparency and ensure speedy dispute redressal in the real estate sector.
For disaster management and skill development, the Cabinet approved utilization of the Skill Development Institution building of the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board at Palkwah Khas in Una district, where the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) will be shifted. It also approved the Himachal Pradesh Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness Project with the French Development Agency, with an outlay of ₹892 crore for five years.
To strengthen pastoral and rural livelihoods, the Cabinet approved the PEHEL project—Resilient Livelihoods, Sustainable Small Ruminants and Empowered Himalayan Shepherds. The project aims to modernize pastoral practices, conserve indigenous breeds, strengthen market linkages and preserve ecological balance in high-altitude areas. A new Act will be introduced to ensure smooth movement of pastoralists and opening of forest lands and meadows for Gaddi livestock.
The Cabinet approved setting up milk processing plants at Nahan, Nalagarh, Mohal and Rohru, a milk chilling centre at Jalari (Hamirpur), a bulk milk cooler at Jhalera (Una), and similar infrastructure at Karsog and Pangi through MILKFED and the National Dairy Development Board. It also sanctioned a cash credit limit of ₹60 crore to HP MILKFED Limited to meet enhanced working capital needs during 2025-26 and 2026-27, along with opening of a separate milk cess account to ensure timely payments to farmers.
Key policy and administrative decisions included approval to amend the Himachal Pradesh Land Preservation Act, 1978, to regulate felling of dried chir trees affected by natural calamities or disease, and revision of the Rajiv Gandhi Laghu Dukandar Sukh Kalyan Yojna (Urban), providing one-time settlement assistance of up to ₹1 lakh for small shopkeepers with non-performing bank loans up to ₹2 lakh.
The Cabinet also approved shifting the headquarters of the Himachal Pradesh State Commission for Backward Classes from Shimla to Dharamshala, setting up a drug de-addiction centre at Malot in Indora (Kangra), and granting relaxation for under-construction Lok Bhawans under the Mukhya Mantri Lok Bhawan Yojna.
In the energy sector, amendments to the Swaran Jayanti Energy Policy-2021 were approved to extend reduced free power royalty benefits to certain hydro projects up to 25 MW capacity. The Cabinet also approved re-allocation of equity power share in SJVNL’s Nathpa Jhakri and Rampur projects to the State Government for sale through the Directorate of Energy.
Other approvals included compassionate appointment to 28 incumbents in the Education Department, development of modern commercial complexes at Mohal Mauja Panol Shahri and Auhar in Ghumarwin, and subsidy for purchase of 18-42 seater buses under the Rajiv Gandhi Swarojgar Start-Up Yojna.
The decisions reflect the State Government’s focus on inclusive development, employment generation, social welfare and long-term economic resilience.
