Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that Himachal Pradesh had to fight for its rightful share on several issues. He noted that despite the expiry of the lease period of Shanan hydroelectric project situated in Himachal Pradesh, it had not been given back to the state from Punjab and arrears due from BBMB had also been delayed due to obstructions posed by Punjab and Haryana, despite a Supreme Court decision.

“Punjab and Haryana are our elder brothers, and they should extend support generously to their younger brother,” the Chief Minister emphasized.

He was speaking at the valedictory session of the two-day national cooperative conference late evening on Sunday at Shimla, where he inaugurated the Cyber Security Operations Centre of Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank, besides launching the bank’s cooperative anthem and releasing a souvenir.

Extending greetings on the successful event, the Chief Minister stated that despite challenging geography and small land holdings, cooperatives in Himachal Pradesh had been playing a crucial role in strengthening the rural economy. He recalled that the cooperative movement in Himachal began in 1904 and received a major boost after full statehood in 1971. Currently, over 5,000 cooperative societies were active in the State, including nearly 2,000 primary agricultural credit societies that provide essential financial services to farmers and rural households.

Responding to a request from Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, he assured that the state government would consider providing relaxations under Section 118 to cooperative societies for purchasing land for business purposes. He also asked the State Cooperative Bank to introduce a one-time settlement policy to help small farmers, orchardists, workers, and traders become debt-free.

Sh. Sukhu stated that the state government had dissolved the Board of Kangra Central Cooperative Bank due to irregularities during the previous regime and reaffirmed that it would not tolerate misuse of public resources. He further said that the Congress government was bringing major reforms in education, health and the rural economy sectors.

He said that Himachal had moved from 21st to 5th position in the country’s education rankings in 2025 and was now striving for the top spot. The State had also retained its pride of being fully literate. On health reforms, he said, “Modern equipments are being provided in leading hospitals, with an outlay of Rs 300 crore this year. Robotic surgery has already been introduced in two government health Institutions to offer better treatment to the people of the State.”

He said despite suffering losses of nearly Rs. 20,000 crore due to natural calamities over the past three years, the state had continued to sustain the pace of development. Referring to the safe rescue of 16,000 devotees stranded during the Manimahesh Yatra in Chamba district, he said that the spirit of compassion and service runs deep in Himachal’s culture, with local people ensuring that no stranded pilgrim went without food or assistance.

To strengthen the rural economy, the Chief Minister said that women’s self-help groups were being promoted under the ‘Him-Era’ brand, while milk procurement had been increased significantly following a historic Rs. 21 per litre hike in milk prices, with MILKFED now collecting 2.5 lakh litres daily from the farmers thereby strengthening their economy. Natural farming was also being encouraged with assured support prices, and women and youth groups were being linked to forest conservation activities by offering incentives.

Union Minister of State for Cooperatives Krishna Pal Gurjar congratulated Himachal Pradesh on achieving 100 percent literacy and underlined the Centre’s initiatives to strengthen the cooperative sector under the leadership of Union Minister Amit Shah. He said the Union Government had launched the “Sehkaar Taxi Sewa”, from which the people of Himachal could benefit, given the state’s immense potential in tourism. He further suggested that Himachal’s institutions could be linked with the newly established Tribhuvan Sehkari University and assured that the Centre would consider special fee concessions for hill states.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said the cooperative movement began in 1892 in Himachal Pradesh from Panjawar in Una district and since then this sector had made remarkable progress. Today, cooperative banks in the State hold deposits of nearly Rs. 60,000 crore and people’s trust in cooperatives must be preserved, he said.

Uttarakhand’s Cooperative Minister Dhan Singh Rawat shared that over 10 lakh farmers in Uttarakhand had received agricultural loans through cooperatives and the State aims to connect 15 lakh people with the movement, with a strong focus on women empowerment.

Health Minister Dr.(Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, HP State Cooperative Bank Chairman Devender Shyam, Jogindra Central Bank Chairman Mukesh Sharma, HP State Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Chairman Sanjay Singh Chauhan, HIMUDA Vice Chairman Yashwant Chhajta, NAFSCOB Chairman K. Ravindra Rao, Joint Secretary to the Government of India Raman Kumar and representatives of cooperative bodies from across the country attended the event. 

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Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla distributed food and relief material to the disaster affected people today in the auditorium of Banikhet Nagar Panchayat under sub-division Dalhousie of district Chamba.

Addressing the people on this occasion, the Governor said that Himachal Pradesh has been becoming sensitive to natural disasters for the last few years.

Emphasizing the need for conservation and promotion of natural resources, Shiv Pratap Shukla said that the frequency of disasters in the state has increased since the year 2023. This has not only caused loss of life and wealth but development works have also been affected.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided an amount of Rs. 1500 crore to the state government for relief and rehabilitation work during his recent visit to the state. He also said that after visiting the disaster affected districts, the Prime Minister has also assured to give additional relief amount to the state on the basis of assessment done by Union Ministers and Inter-Ministerial Central Team.

Shiv Pratap Shukla expressed gratitude to the Central Government and the Government of Uttar Pradesh for sending food and relief material to the state. Considering the demand for additional food and relief material in view of the conditions in the area, he asked the public representatives to send the list to the office of Secretary to the Governor and State Red Cross and Deputy Commissioner and Chairman District Red Cross.

The Governor appreciated the morale and courage shown by the people of the area during the disaster. He said that people faced adverse circumstances with patience, courage and unity.

He expressed hope that all the arrangements in the district will be normal in the next two-three months.

During this time, he also flagged-off relief material vehicles for various areas.

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla took stock of various disaster affected areas. He inspected various disaster-affected sites of National Highway 154-A and damaged area near Banikhet town, Kakiyana village and disaster-affected area near Chauhda. He gave necessary instructions to the concerned departmental officers.

On this occasion, MLA Vipin Parmar, Dr. Hansraj and DS Thakur also expressed their views.

Former MLA Bikram Singh Jaryal, Pawan Nayyar, BJP District President Dheeraj Naryal, Secretary to the Governor CP Verma, Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal, Superintendent of Police Abhishek Yadav, SDM Anil Bhardwaj and other dignitaries of the area were present on this occasion.

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NIFT Delhi graduate Akshita Sharma today presented an artwork to Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. The artwork, inspired by the mud-washed walls of Spiti and Lahaul, blends earth with essence and incorporates agate and jasper stones traditionally used in Himalayan jewellery. These stones, embedded into the surface, serve not only as cultural markers but also as carriers of grounding and protective energies. The Chief Minister lauded Akshita’s efforts, congratulating her for reviving heritage crafts, curating meaningful cultural showcases and creating new product lines that celebrate Himachal’s rich traditions.

A 2016 graduate of NIFT Delhi, Akshita Sharma is a designer and creative consultant working at the intersection of craft, culture and contemporary design. Over the past five years, she has collaborated with artisan clusters and government bodies across Himachal Pradesh. Her practice spans design interventions, artisan empowerment, exhibition curation, and market linkages, with a strong focus on sustainability and storytelling.

From reviving the hemp Pulla craft in Gadagushaini to curating gifts for the  Prime Minister, the President of India, and spiritual leader Sadhguru, Akshita has been at the forefront of showcasing Himachal’s heritage in modern contexts. She also represented the state at the G20 Summit in New Delhi. Continuing her mission, Akshita works closely with institutions, startups, and artisan communities to ensure that craft remains a living and evolving part of everyday life in her home state.

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CM chairs review meeting of medical education department

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today chaired a review meeting of the Medical Education Department and stated that the State Government will bring significant improvements in all medical colleges of Himachal Pradesh within one year. He said that this will ensure that people get access to advanced healthcare facilities within the State itself, without the need to travel outside for treatment.

The Chief Minister said that the government is streamlining the functioning of medical colleges. Robotic surgery has already been introduced at Chamiyana Super-Specialty Hospital and Tanda Medical College and the facility will be gradually extended to other medical colleges across the State in a phased manner.

Reviewing the availability of staff, equipment, and machinery in all medical colleges, he said the government is installing modern medical machines and assured that there is no shortage of funds for strengthening health services. The government is also making serious efforts to address the shortage of doctors, paramedical staff and technical staff. He directed that proper cleanliness be maintained in all medical colleges and said that accountability will be fixed in case of negligence.

Sh. Sukhu said that automated laboratories would be set up in Chamiyana, Hamirpur and Chamba Medical colleges at a cost of Rs. 25 crore each. He directed that the construction of the Critical Care Block at Chamba Medical College be completed by October this year and informed that the State Government will provide Rs. 100 crore for the construction of the Academic Block there. Hostels for senior resident doctors and staff of medical college Chamba will also be built.

The Chief Minister further said that nursing colleges will start functioning from the next academic session at Nahan, Hamirpur, Kullu and Chamba to address the shortage of nursing staff in the State. He emphasized that all health institutions will ensure doctor-patient and nurse-patient ratios as per international standards, so that people receive the best possible healthcare services. He also sought OPD and IPD data from all medical colleges.

Secretary Health M. Sudha Devi, Secretary to Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, Special Secretary Ashwini Sharma, Director Medical Education Rakesh Sharma, Director Health Services Gopal Berry, along with principals of all medical colleges who joined virtually, were present in the meeting.

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Deputy Managing Director of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Goverdhan Singh Rawat, called on Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at his official residence, Oak Over, today. The Chief Minister appreciated the pivotal role played by NABARD’s Regional Office in strengthening coordination between the State Government and NABARD’s Head Office, thereby ensuring speedy resolution of important issues.

Sh. Sukhu asked NABARD to consider ground-mounted solar projects as eligible for funding under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), noting that such projects would help Panchayats achieve energy self-sufficiency and advance the State Government’s vision of Green Himachal. He also requested the inclusion of electric buses under RIDF support.

Highlighting the unique challenges of hill states, the Chief Minister called for separate norms for 11 hill states while deciding annual state-wise allocations. He suggested that parameters such as forest cover, greening initiatives and ecological contributions must be considered in the process. The Chief Minister also asked NABARD to assist the State Planning Department in developing robust and seamless supply and value chains in Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, from the farm gate to the consumer, aimed at enhancing farmers’ income. He further emphasized the need to reform long-established procedures by delegating greater flexibility to state governments to make project-specific changes during the execution phase of NABARD-approved programmes.

NABARD officers highlighted challenges faced by cooperative societies due to Section 118 provisions, which limit their functioning. They also suggested assigning the task of milk procurement to Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS), rather than creating new societies and expediting the computerization of PACS.

The Chief Minister assured that all suggestions from NABARD would be duly examined and, if practical, integrated into the State’s development strategy. He reiterated the State Government’s openness to innovative ideas that contribute to sustainable growth and rural prosperity. NABARD officials, in turn, assured the Chief Minister that his suggestions would be taken up at the highest level and efforts would be made to incorporate them into future guidelines.

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Announces increasing of B.Sc. Nursing seats to 60 in Tanda Medical College

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu virtually inaugurated robotic surgery facility at cost of Rs. 30 crore at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda in district Kangra on Friday from Chandigarh.  He was supposed to inaugurate this facility in person, but his helicopter could not land at Tanda due to inclement weather conditions.

The Chief Minister said that the state government was committed to provide specialized health services to the people nearer to their homes by using advanced technology. The government had already provided robotic surgery facility at Atal Institute of Medical Super Specialty, Chamiyana (Shimla) recently.

Sh. Sukhu said that after coming to the power, the present state government had given priority to health and education sectors. The modern medical techniques were being introduced in the health institutions of the state and there would be no paucity of funds for this. He said that Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan machine would be installed in Tanda Medical College soon so that patients did not require to visit other states for this facility. He said that department of emergency would also be strengthened in the medical colleges across the state.

The Chief Minister announced increasing of seats of B.Sc. Nursing to 60 in Tanda Medical College.

He said that robotic surgery would also be started at medical colleges at  Hamirpur, Chamba, Nerchowk and Nahan in a phased manner. He said that 150-200 para-medical staff would also be provided in these medical colleges. The state government would create posts of 50 operation theatre Radiographer as well and incentives would be given to the best performing doctors in their respective field.

Health Minister Col. (Dr.) Dhani Ram Shandil, Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar, Ayush Minister Yadvinder Goma, Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board Bhawani Singh Pathania, Vice Chairman H.P. Tourism Development Board R.S. Bali, MLAs Sanjay Rattan, Kishori Lal and Ashish Butail, Vice Chairman, HRTC Ajay Verma, former MLAs Ajay Mahajan and Surender Kaku, Principal, Medical College Tanda Dr. Milap Sharma were present at Tanda Medical College during the inaugural ceremony, while Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania was present at Chandigarh with the Chief Minister.

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