The government of Himachal Pradesh has introduced a comprehensive package of financial and social support measures aimed at uplifting households and women across the region. During a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, officials finalized several decisions spanning healthcare enhancement, employment creation, agricultural incentives, and public transportation upgrades designed to impact millions of residents.
Launch of New Family Welfare Scheme
A central decision from the recent administrative gathering was the approval of the Chief Minister Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana, targeted specifically at women. Under this initiative, eligible women aged eighteen to fifty-nine will receive a monthly stipend of one thousand five hundred rupees. State authorities have identified three hundred fifty thousand eligible women to benefit from this financial assistance. Additionally, beneficiary households are slated to receive three hundred units of free electricity every month, though complete procedural guidelines and implementation timelines regarding broader health insurance aspects remain pending.
Healthcare Upgrades and Staff Expansion
To bolster medical infrastructure, the cabinet sanctioned the deployment of one thousand patient assistants across government hospitals and medical institutions. Recruitment has also been authorized to fill five hundred sixty-one junior office assistant positions across various medical and dental colleges as well as the Directorate of Medical Education. Data entry operators will be brought in to implement hospital management systems, while specialized geriatric medicine departments are set to be established in Shimla, Tanda, and Neri Chowk.
Employment Boost and Transport Subsidies
Employment generation measures include filling specific administrative posts in rural development, judicial courts, and treasury departments. Under the Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Startup Scheme, financial backing for purchasing diesel buses has seen subsidies raised from thirty percent to forty percent. Furthermore, acquiring electric buses for designated routes will now attract a fifty percent subsidy to encourage sustainable public transport and entrepreneurial ventures.
Agricultural Support and Administrative Reforms
Farming communities received a boost with the minimum support price for naturally grown ginger increasing from thirty to forty rupees per kilogram. Market intervention pricing for C-grade apples was similarly adjusted from twelve to thirteen rupees per kilogram. To address public safety and youth welfare, an anti-substance abuse campaign named Chitta Mukt Abhiyan-2026 will integrate sports into community engagement. Concurrently, police recruitment written examinations will be conducted offline following temporary rule relaxations, and modern registration centers modeled after passport offices will be established across Shimla, Solan, Kangra, and Sirmaur districts in the initial phase.
