Himachal Pradesh Government

Health Minister urges centre to raise rates of supplementary nutrition

· Calls for timely release of funds under Anganwadi Seva Yojana

Health and Social Justice Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil today participated in a virtual review meeting chaired by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi, with Ministers from various states to assess the progress of different schemes of the Ministry.

Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil said that keeping in view the importance of proper nutrition during childhood the State Government was working proactively to meet the nutritional needs of the children. He urged the Union Minister to increase the rates of supplementary nutrition being provided by the Central Government to help fulfill the dietary requirements of children.

He informed that under the Anganwadi Seva Yojana the state government has recently received Rs. 66 crore while it has already spent Rs. 113 crore from its own treasury towards the Central share and urged the Union Minister to release the second installment of the funds. He said that under the special nutrition programme, the Central Government has provided Rs. 4013.01 lakh this year out of which Rs. 1516.09 lakh have been spent so far.

He suggested that pre-fabricated structures should be included for the construction of anganwadi buildings in hilly states like Himachal, as such models would be more effective in these regions. He requested the Central government to provide funds for constructing these buildings under the scheme.

The Health Minister said that all anganwadi centres in the state have been declared as anganwadi Seh-school centres to ensure that children receive not only nutritious food but also proper care and early learning. A State-level Joint Committee headed by the Secretary (Education) has been constituted to implement the guidelines issued by the Ministries of Women & Child Development and Education for co-locating Anganwadi Centres with schools.

He appraised that under the 'Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi' programme all the DPOs, CDPOs and Supervisors have been trained as state-level master trainers who would further train all anganwadi workers. He said that the state government was fully committed to ensuring that every child and mother receives adequate nutrition.

The Union Minister assured of all possible support to the state and to sympathetically consider all the genuine demands.

Director of Women and Child Development Department Dr. Pankaj Lalit along with other senior officials of the department also attended the meeting.

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HPEMC to play key role in energy trading and maximizing state revenue: CM



Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the State Government has established the Himachal Pradesh Energy Management Centre (HPEMC) with a view to efficiently manage the sale and purchase of electricity for maximizing the State revenue and minimize power procurement costs.

Presiding over a meeting of the HPEMC here today, the Chief Minister directed the officers to prepare an action plan for power procurement in view of the approaching winter season. He noted that water flow in rivers declines during winters due to snowfall in higher regions, making it essential to plan power purchases in advance to ensure uninterrupted supply at economical rates.

The Chief Minister said that the HPEMC would play a pivotal role in energy trading and in securing optimum financial benefits for the State. He emphasized that it must function with the highest level of professionalism to ensure maximum returns and transparency in operations.

Sh. Sukhu reiterated that the State Government was committed to providing all necessary support to strengthen the organization and enhance its operational efficiency. He further said that the present Congress Government in its very first budget set a target of making Himachal Pradesh a Green Energy State by 31 March, 2026 and consistent efforts were being made to achieve this goal.

Principal Secretary Devesh Kumar, Director Energy Rakesh Prajapati, Director Finance HPSEBL Anurag Chander Sharma, Special Secretary Shubhkaran Singh  and other senior officers of the Energy department were present in the meeting.

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100 schools to be brought under CBSE pattern from next academic session: CM


Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while chairing a review meeting of the education department here today said that 100 schools across the state would be brought under the CBSE curriculum in the first phase from the next academic session.

He directed the departmental officers to complete all preparations within the prescribed time frame. He said that the CBSE-pattern schools would have a distinct colour scheme and students attending these schools would wear uniforms of a different colour. These schools would be equipped with smart classrooms and arrangements would be made for providing nutritious meals to students in the school mess.

The Education department officials apprised the Chief Minister that so far, 86 schools in the state have been identified as meeting the CBSE standards. The Chief Minister directed the officials to ensure that the remaining schools meet these standards as soon as possible.

Shri Sukhu said that the state government was fully committed to providing quality education and there was no paucity of funds for developing infrastructural facilities. He said that vacant teaching positions in the department were being filled on priority. It was due to the efforts of the state government that Himachal Pradesh had climbed from 21^st to 5^th  place in the quality of education rankings. The government continues to focus on ensuring quality education especially for children in rural areas.

The Chief Minister also reviewed the establishment of Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools and instructed officials to expedite their development. He stressed that these schools should have well-designed campuses with ample space for sports and recreational activities and that they would serve as milestones in bringing educational reforms to the state.

Shri Sukhu further stated that efforts were underway to establish state-of-the-art colleges in every district, providing students not only with quality education but also access to a range of activities for their holistic development.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Director of Higher Education Amarjeet Sharma and other senior officials of the department were present in the meeting.

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Chief Minister reviews HP-READY project with world bank team

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today chaired a meeting with senior officers of the World Bank to review the Himachal Pradesh Resilient Action for Development and Disaster Recovery (HP-READY) project, which is scheduled to be rolled out in January, 2026. The Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh has been increasingly witnessing the adverse effects of climate change, resulting in significant loss of human lives and damage to critical infrastructure. He stated that frequent natural disasters have compelled the State Government to divert substantial resources toward restoring damaged infrastructure.

Sh. Sukhu said that, in strategic collaboration with the World Bank, the State Government was implementing this major initiative for disaster recovery, with several priority projects already identified. The total cost of the project is Rs. 2,687 crore. He added that the mission was not only crucial for compensating losses caused by disasters between 2023 and 2025, but also for strengthening and rebuilding the State’s infrastructure to withstand future calamities.

The Chief Minister said that the HP-READY project aims to enhance early warning systems, restore disaster-damaged infrastructure such as roads, bridges and buildings, and undertake channelization of rivulets. It will also focus on developing resilient public services, promoting livelihood opportunities through initiatives like "Green Panchayats", and strengthening risk-informed social safety and insurance mechanisms.

Sh. Sukhu emphasized the importance of building infrastructure that supports farmers and horticulturists, ensuring their livelihoods remain secure even during disasters. He said that under this project Controlled Atmosphere (CA) stores would be established at 10 locations across the state to help farmers preserve their produce and prevent financial loss during adverse conditions.

Additional Chief Secretary Revenue KK Pant, Special Secretary DC Rana, World Bank team leader for the project Anoop Karanth, specialists disaster management Vijay and Sheena Arora were present at the meeting.

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Forest Employees Federation contributes Rs. 5 lakh to CM Relief Fund

A delegation of the HP Forest Non-Gazetted Employees Federation lead of Head of Forest Force Dr. Sanjay Sood called on the Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here today.

The delegation expressed its gratitude to the Chief Minister for the recent promotion of 301 forest guards to the post of deputy range officers in the forest department.

The Federation also contributed an amount of Rs. 5 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to support disaster relief efforts in the state.

State General Secretary of Federation Dinesh Sharma along with other representatives and NGO President Pradeep Thakur were present on the occasion.

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Sanskrit is soul of Indian culture: Governor

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla said that Sanskrit would play a significant role in realizing the dream of Viksit Bharat, as it was the repository of India’s timeless traditions and deep knowledge in medicine, physical and occult sciences and various other disciplines. He said that Sanskrit was the soul of Indian culture and the mother of all languages. He said that major sciences such as astronomy, Ayurveda and subjects like Astrology and Yoga were integral parts of our ancient scriptures.

The Governor was presiding over the “Vishisht Deekshant Mahotsav” organized by Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, New Delhi, today.

Highlighting the need to promote Sanskrit and its vast knowledge heritage, Shri Shukla said that Indian society was becoming increasingly aware of its rich cultural legacy, especially the wisdom enshrined in sacred texts. He said that this growing awareness proves that modernity and ancient culture can progress together harmoniously.

He appreciated the efforts of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya for imparting education in Sanskrit and popularizing the language among people. He also underscored the importance of research on ancient scriptures and suggested that their essence should be presented in a simple form for the benefit of the public.

“Our saints and scholars composed these texts for the welfare of humanity, nature and the earth. Making their knowledge accessible to all would benefit society immensely,” said the Governor.

Prof. Surendra Dubey, Vice Chairman of the Central Hindi Institute also addressed the gathering and spoke about the relevance of Sanskrit in contemporary society, lauding the Vishwavidyalaya’s initiatives.

Earlier, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Murli Manohar Pathak welcomed the Chief Guest and other dignitaries and briefed about the activities of the institution.

On the occasion, Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla felicitated distinguished Sanskrit scholars and academicians including Acharya Mithila Prasad Tripathi, Ved Prakash Upadhyay, Bal Krishan Sharma and Devendra Nath Tripathi for their outstanding contributions to Sanskrit.

Prof. Devi Prasad Tripathi, Coordinator, Prof. Santosh Kumar Srivastav, Registrar, distinguished scholars, faculty members and students of the Vishwavidyalaya were also present on the occasion.

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