Himachal Pradesh Cabinet approves ₹1,500 monthly allowance for women

In a recent move, the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet has given the green light to a monthly allowance of ₹1,500 for eligible women as part of the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi scheme. This decision fulfills one of the Congress party's electoral promises for the 2022 assembly elections. The scheme covers all unemployed women aged 18 to 60.

Empowering women

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the cabinet meeting also urged the Union government to promptly release ₹9,043 crore for post-disaster need assessment (PDNA). This funding is crucial for addressing disaster-related needs in the state without further delay. The draft has been prepared in accordance with the Center's guidelines, with full release anticipated.

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Additionally, the cabinet addressed various educational and infrastructure matters. A sub-committee led by Education Minister Rohit Thakur recommended recruiting 2,401 School Management Committee (SMC) teachers through limited direct recruitment on a contract basis. These teachers will later be regularized into government service based on the government's policy. Furthermore, approval was granted to fill 985 lecturer positions in computer science.

Leadership support and infrastructure upgrades

Expressing full confidence in Chief Minister Sukhu's leadership, the cabinet condemned attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to destabilize the democratically elected government. It pledged to inform the public about the BJP's propaganda while reaffirming its commitment to serving a full five-year term.

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The cabinet also rationalized the engineering staff of the forest department and approved the creation of a sub tehsil in Bhadoli, Jawalamukhi tehsil of Kangra. Additionally, it sanctioned the establishment of a community health center in Darlaghat, Solan, and a primary health center in Pihari, Jawalamukhi area. Suhi Mela and Saho Jatar in Chamba were designated as district-level fairs.

Moreover, the cabinet endorsed the elevation of a post of medical physicist at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, to the position of assistant professor, medical physics. It also sanctioned the creation and filling of an assistant professor position in the cardiology department at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda.