Himachal Pradesh Government

State Government gifts chilgoza saplings to Bhutan, CM flags off vehicle
Strengthening the long-standing friendly and amicable relations between India and Bhutan, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today flagged off a vehicle carrying Chilgoza (pine nut) saplings as a gift to kingdom of Bhutan from the State Secretariat today.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that India and Bhutan shares a warm and cordial relations and this green initiative will further strengthen the bond of friendship between two countries.

He said that Himachal Pradesh and Bhutan have similar Himalayan natural heritage. The Himachal Pradesh Forest Department would also provide Chilgoza seeds worth Rs. 5 lakh to Bhutan soon. In addition, training would be given to Bhutan’s forest officials on how to grow Chilgoza plants. A team from Bhutan’s Forest Department would soon visit Himachal Pradesh for this purpose.

The state government would involve local women’s groups in Chilgoza-based activities and provide them with financial support. Efforts related to Chilgoza cultivation and development would be further expanded.

The Chief Minister said that earlier also, 50 kilograms of Chilgoza seeds had been provided to Bhutan.

Chilgoza is a unique and highly valuable species of the western Himalayas. It is closely linked with environmental protection, biodiversity and local livelihood.

The Chief Minister said that the present state government was taking several steps to promote forest conservation and expand forest cover. As a result of government efforts, the forest area of the state has increased by about 55 square kilometers. This year, plantation work was being carried out on around 9,000 hectares of forest land under various schemes and projects, with 60 percent fruit-bearing plants.

To increase the green cover 600 hectares of plantation was being done on barren hills under Chief Minister Van Vistar Yojana and for forest protection and management, 2,019 Van Mitras have been appointed in since 2019.

Schemes such as the Rajiv Gandi Van Samvardhan Yojana and the Green Adoption Scheme were also being implemented for increasing the green cover.

Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, Vice-Chairman of Himachal Pradesh State Forest Corporation Kehar Singh Khachi, MLAs Captain Ranjit Singh Rana and Malender Rajan, Chairman of the State Haj Committee Dildar Ali Bhatt, Advocate General Anup Rattan, Additional Chief Secretary K.K. Pant, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HOFF) Sanjay Sood and other senior officers were present on the occasion.

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Bada and Faste Gram Panchayats of Nadaun Assembly constituency call on CM
- Encourages to adopt natural farming practices
A delegation from the Bada and Faste Gram Panchayats of the Nadaun Assembly constituency met the Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here today.

On the occasion the Chief Minister discussed various development works being carried out in the Nadaun Assembly constituency and also took feedback from the delegation. He said that the foundation stone for the Spice Park to be set up in Bada Panchayat would be laid soon.

The Chief Minister encouraged the delegation to adopt natural farming methods. He said that the Nadaun area has great potential for growing turmeric through natural farming.

Sh. Sukhu said that the state government has fixed the purchase price of wheat grown through natural farming at Rs. 60 per kilogram. On 15 April 2025, the Pangi sub-division was declared a completely natural farming sub-division. The government is also providing a support price of Rs. 90 per kilogram for raw turmeric and Rs. 60 per kilogram for barley grown in the Pangi valley.

He said that Himachal Pradesh is the first state in the country to fix a minimum support price for crops grown through natural farming.

The Chief Minister urged the delegation to spread awareness about the government’s public welfare schemes among the general public so that more people can get benefitted from them.-0-

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Chief Minister directs ensure comfort and safety of tourists
Rules must be strictly followed to maintain quality and safety of food

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today here issued instructions to the Municipal Corporation Shimla to improve tourist facilities and cleanliness in the city. After visiting Mall Road in Shimla and other areas on Saturday evening, he said it must be ensured that vendors do not charge more than the fixed prices for food items and other goods.

He said that the rules and standards set by the Directorate of Health Safety and Regulation and the Food Safety and Standards Authority must be strictly enforced to maintain food quality, safety and hygiene. He said that to ensure the safety and proper disposal of the waste, the MC must act proactively and strictly as it strongly affects and represents the image of the state.

The Chief Minister said that tourists visiting Shimla should have an excellent experience, while the needs of local residents must also be given equal importance. He added that the state government is improving public services in urban areas and making them easier to access.

He said that the state government has recently launched the second phase of the Citizen Connect Programme under the theme “Clean City, Prosperous City”. Keeping in mind the growing population, increasing urbanization and changing needs of citizens, the government was setting a new, inclusive and sustainable direction for urban development.

The Chief Minister said that an important decision to benefit small shopkeepers under Mukhyamantri Mukhya Mantri Laghu Dukandar Kalyan Yojana. Under this scheme shopkeepers with outstanding loans of up to rupees one lakh, whose accounts have been declared non-performing assets by banks, would be given a one-time settlement facility of up to rupees one lakh. Similarly, shopkeepers with loans between rupees one lakh and rupees two lakh would receive one-time assistance of up to rupees one lakh.

He said that urban services have been brought into the digital age through the Citizen Service Portal. In the first phase, nine online services were introduced and more than 2.5 lakh citizens have been registered. In the second phase, nine additional services have been added, which would improve transparency and reduce the gap between the government and the public.

The Chief Minister said that under the Digital Door Plate system, every urban household was being given a unique digital identity. This initiative would bring greater transparency and accountability to urban governance.

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CM directs installation of rooftop solar systems on health institutions
Target set to meet 90 Percent of energy demand through renewable sources

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed to install rooftop solar systems on various buildings of health institutions under the Health Department. He said that installing these systems in a phased manner would promote green energy and also help save money.

He said that the State Government has set a target to develop the state as a green energy state and effective steps were being taken to achieve this goal.

The Chief Minister added that State's annual energy consumption is about 13,000 million units. To make the state self-reliant in the energy sector, the government has set a target to meet more than 90 percent of this energy requirement through renewable energy sources.

The State Government has set a target to install solar energy projects with a total capacity of 500 megawatts in the state within the next two years. At present, the 32 megawatt Pekhubela Solar Power Project, the 5 megawatt Bhanjal Solar Power Project, and the 10 megawatt Aghlaur Solar Power Project were already producing electricity. The State Government was making special efforts to promote alternative energy projects such as solar energy, green hydrogen, compressed biogas and other renewable sources.

To achieve the goal of making Himachal Pradesh a Green Energy State, the government has given a key role to Gram Panchayats. The Chief Minister has launched the Green Panchayat Programme, under which 500 kilowatt ground-mounted solar power projects would be set up in all panchayats.

In the first phase of approval has been given to install 500 kilowatt solar plants in 24 Gram Panchayats and work has already started in 16 panchayats. The programme aims to generate a total of 150 megawatts of solar power. Under this scheme, 20 per cent of the revenue earned from the electricity produced would be used by the state government to provide financial assistance to orphaned children and widows in the concerned Gram Panchayats.

The Pekhubela Solar Power Project in Una district began commercial operations on 15 April, 2024. So far, it has generated 79.03 million units of electricity and earned Rs. 22.91 crore in revenue. The Bhanjal Solar Power Project in Una started commercial operations on 30 November, 2024 and has so far produced 8.57 million units of electricity, earning Rs. 3.10 crore in revenue. Electricity generation from the Aghlaur Solar Power Project in Una district began on 21 May, 2025 and it has produced 5.89 million units of electricity to date.

At present, three solar power projects with a total capacity of 31 megawatts were in the execution stage, while four projects with a combined capacity of 41 megawatts were in the tender stage. A 200-megawatt solar power plant would also be set up on barren land in the Damtal area of Kangra district.

Solar power projects ranging from 250 kilowatts to 5 megawatts were being allotted on a “first come, first served” basis. The electricity produced by these projects would be purchased by the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL). Under this scheme, 547 investors have been allotted ground-mounted solar projects with a total capacity of 595.97 megawatts and power purchase agreements have already been signed for 403.09 megawatts.

In addition, HIMURJA has allotted solar power projects with a total capacity of 728.4 megawatts to HPSEBL. Out of these, 120 ground-mounted solar projects with a combined capacity of 150.13 megawatts have already started operations.

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Government to provide pucca houses to 27,715 poor of poorest Families, No eligible family will be left out of IRDP: Chief Minister
Even after 20 years in IRDP, many families were still without Pucca homes

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today chaired a high-level review meeting of the Panchayati Raj Department and stated that the State Government would provide pucca houses to all eligible poor families in Himachal Pradesh who are still living in kutcha houses. He emphasized that safe housing is not only a basic necessity but also a social right of every citizen, and the government was taking concrete steps to ensure this right.

The Chief Minister informed that in the first phase of a survey conducted to identify the extremely poor families as many as 27,715 families have been included. These are those families who have been part of the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) for the past 20 years but have not yet received a pucca house. In the first phase, the income limit was fixed at Rs. 50,000 per annum and families already owning a pucca house were excluded.

He further stated that in the second phase of the survey, families who already own a pucca house were also included. As a result, an additional 35,355 families were added to the extremely poor category. With this, the total number of identified extremely poor families has increased to 63,070.

The Chief Minister said that in the third phase, orphaned children, persons with disabilities and widows will also be included, which would further increase the number of beneficiaries. The survey will also be conducted in the fourth and fifth phases to ensure that the maximum number of eligible families are covered. He added that at every stage of the selection process, the criteria was being relaxed to make it more inclusive, reiterating that no eligible family will be left out of the IRDP.

Sh. Sukhu also said that the State Government would strengthen the Panchayati Raj Department by filling vacant posts on a priority basis. Posts of Junior Engineers will also be filled in panchayats to improve implementation and monitoring of development works.

He stated that the present State Government accords the highest priority to social empowerment. Several welfare schemes are being implemented effectively with the objective of bringing the deprived, neglected and weaker sections of society into the mainstream.

The Chief Minister emphasized that the government’s goal was not limited to the construction of houses alone, but to ensure a dignified standard of living for poor families. Special attention is being given to basic amenities, sanitation, drinking water and livelihood opportunities.

He directed the officers to regularly review the progress of various schemes and made it clear that negligence or delays at any level will not be tolerated. Reiterating the government’s commitment to public welfare, he said that ensuring the benefits of development reach the last person standing in the queue is the true spirit of “systemic transformation”.

Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister (Innovation, Digital Technologies and Governance) Gokul Butail, Secretary to the Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, Secretary Panchayati Raj C. Palrasu, Director Panchayati Raj Raghav Sharma and other senior officers were present on the occasion.

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CM directs replacement of Janani Suraksha 'Drop-Back' ambulances
Govt to launch special doorstep health check-up programme for the elderly

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while chairing a review meeting of the National Health Mission (NHM) here today directed for replacement of 'Janani Suraksha' drop-back ambulances in the state to ensure accessible, high-quality and efficient services for the people. As many as 125 ambulances will be replaced at an estimated cost of approximately Rs.10.68 crore.

The Chief Minister said that around Rs. 20 crore would be spent under the elderly and palliative care programme to provide better healthcare facilities to the senior citizens. Under this programme, bedridden patients would be provided medical examination and treatment facilities at their doorstep with special teams comprising of doctors, paramedical and other support staff to be linked with 70 model health institutions across the state. He described the programme as extremely significant from a healthcare perspective and a reflection of the government’s strong commitment towards public welfare.

Sh. Sukhu further stated that several initiatives were being implemented to provide world-class healthcare facilities to children and expectant mothers. Children suffering from Type-1 diabetes and expectant mothers will be provided insulin pumps free of cost. An amount of approximately Rs. 2.25 crore will be spent on this initiative, he said.

The Chief Minister also emphasized the need for effective rehabilitation of youth trapped in substance abuse. He said that strengthening rehabilitation centres was essential and directed the officers to prepare a comprehensive plan and take concrete steps in this direction.

Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister (Innovation, Digital Technologies and Governance) Gokul Butail, Secretary Health Priyanka Basu Ingty, Director DDTG Dr. Nipun Jindal, Mission Director NHM Pradeep Kumar Thakur, Director Health Services Gopal Beri and other senior officers were present on the occasion.

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