Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh govt has decided to conduct elections to the existing 3,577 gram panchayats, 90 panchayat samitis and 11 zila parishads before the April 30 deadline set by the state high court.While the cabinet meeting on Monday did not include the panchayat elections as a formal agenda among 58 other topics of discussion, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed panchayati raj minister Anirudh Singh during the meeting to begin preparations for the elections before April 30, signalling that the govt will not challenge the high court’s Jan 9 judgement.
Parliamentary affairs minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, while briefing about the cabinet meeting, said as the tenure of elected panchayat representatives was coming to an end on Jan 31, it had to be legally seen how the panchayats in other neighbouring states functioned when panchayat elections were delayed by up to two years.The cabinet on Monday also allowed Alliance Air Aviation Limited to operate 46-seater aircraft for seven days a week on the Delhi–Shimla–Delhi and Shimla–Dharamshala–Shimla routes.The Delhi–Shimla air service stands suspended since Sept 2025. Chauhan explained that the route was not economically viable, leading the airlines to hesitate, but the state govt would provide viability gap funding of approximately Rs 30-32 crore to ensure operations.Push for healthcareIt was decided to establish a cancer care center at Dr Radhakrishnan Govt Medical College, Hamirpur, approving the establishing of 11 new departments in the cancer care center, as well as the creation and filling of requisite posts of various categories. The cabinet also permitted the construction of eight additional blocks on the campus of AIIMS Bilaspur to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure.The cabinet also gave its nod to amend the senior resident doctor policy by providing a 66.66% quota for in-service GDOs/MOs and 33.33% for direct candidates. It further decided that the distribution of seats shall be interchangeable in case of non-availability of eligible candidates in their respective categories.The cabinet decided to establish four new laboratories for nutritional profiling and strengthening the food testing ecosystem, one each in the districts of Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, and Solan (Baddi), and to upgrade the composite testing laboratory at Kandaghat in Solan district, along with the creation and filling of requisite posts.Approval was also given to amend the provisions of the policy relating to the post of assistant staff nurse. The age limit for the post was changed to 18 years from 45 years, along with a five-year age relaxation for candidates belonging to the SC/ST and other eligible categories.Harnessing geothermal energy An approval was also accorded for adoption of the national policy on geothermal energy to facilitate the exploration and development of untapped geothermal energy resources in the state.The cabinet approved the Directorate of Energy as the nodal agency for the implementation of this policy and sanctioned amendments to the Swaran Jayanti Energy Policy, 2021, to incorporate guidelines related to geothermal energy.A go ahead was also given to the allotment of four hydroelectric projects up to 25 MW, namely 6 MW Khauli-II, 24 MW Malana-III, 21.9 MW Manalsu, and 18 MW Dhancho hydroelectric projects, to the successful bidders after completion of the tendering process.Filling vacant postsThe Sukhu cabinet approved filling of 11 posts of assistant commissioner, state taxes and excise; 11 posts of different categories as job trainees in the residential institute for mentally challenged children, Hiranagar, in Shimla district; and the creation and filling of 11 posts of different categories in the disaster management cell of the revenue department.It also gave consent to the filling of six posts of tehsildar in the department of revenue and decided to re-engage retired revenue officers on fixed remuneration for the early disposal of pending cases in the revenue department.It was further decided to fill four posts of junior engineer (horticulture) as job trainees in the public works department and to create and fill four posts of various categories for the Volleyball Sports Hostel at Bhareri in district Hamirpur.New cess on fuelThe Himachal cabinet on Monday approved to promulgate an ordinance to levy an ‘Orphan and Widow Cess’ on petrol and high-speed diesel at the point of first sale in the state, with the objective of strengthening welfare schemes for orphans and widows.The cess will be non-burdensome to consumers, while ensuring the availability of adequate financial resources for the effective implementation of these welfare schemes, stated the cabinet.Other decisionsThe Sukhu-led state cabinet has decided to amend the Social Security (Pension and Allowance) Rule, 2010, to ensure time-bound disbursal of social security pensions to the beneficiaries.It was also decided to construct a 4.3-km-long Naddi Zipline Project near Dharamshala in Kangra district at an estimated cost of Rs 7.41 crore. Upon completion, it will be Asia’s longest zipline and is expected to emerge as a major attraction for tourists visiting the area.The cabinet further decided to extend the Himachal Pradesh Industrial Investment Policy, 2019 up to March 31, 2026, to promote sustainable industrial development, employment opportunities, enhance ease of doing business and attract investment in the state.The cabinet decided, in principle, to take over the Institute for Children with Special Abilities, Dhalli, in Shimla district and to approve standard operating procedure-cum-guidelines for the recruitment of crèche workers and crèche helpers in the state.A nod was also given to construct a new ice skating rink in Shimla. To regulate the functioning of revenue officers, as well as the appointment, duties, emoluments, and punishment of village officers, the cabinet gave its approval to the Himachal Land Revenue Rules, 2025.MSID:: 126678437 413 |
