SHIMLA-1st Oct, 2025
Governor and Chief Minister felicitate people on Dussehra
Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu have felicitated the people of the State on the occasion of Dussehra festival.
The Governor said that Dussehra festival symbolizes victory of good over evil and hoped that the festival would be celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout the State.
The Chief Minister has also extended felicitations to the people of the State on this occasion. He wished that the Dussehra festival may bring happiness, peace and prosperity in the lives of the people of the State.
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Chief Minister condoles death of UNI correspondent's father
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has condoled the death of Ramchand Verma (98), father of Mohan Verma, Correspondent UNI. He passed away at his native place at Kalon in Solan district on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family members to bear this irreparable loss.
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Chief Minister flags off 14 new fire tenders
· 700 Home Guard vacancies to be filled shortly: CM
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today flagged off 14 new fire tenders purchased at a cost of Rs. 6.70 crore from the Choura Maidan, Shimla. These vehicles have been dispatched to the Training Centre Baldeyan and to other centres at Deha, Ubadesh, Nerwa and Theog in Shimla district, Dharampur and Thunag in Mandi district, Kaza in Lahaul-Spiti, Shahpur and Indora in Kangra district, and Nadaun in Hamirpur district.
The Chief Minister said that the new fire tenders have been allocated keeping in view the needs of both remote and densely populated areas, ensuring a timely response to fire-related emergencies. He informed that an amount of Rs 23 crore has been allocated for the purchase of additional fire tenders to further enhance the fleet.
Reiterating the State Government’s commitment to strengthening fire services, the Chief Minister said that adequate financial resources are being provided to the department. He further stated that for the financial year 2025-26, Rs 4.24 crore has been sanctioned for equipping new and upgraded fire stations, while Rs 7 crore has been allocated for the construction of departmental buildings at Nadaun and Indora.
He also said that the recruitment process for 700 posts of Home Guards will be initiated shortly to augment manpower and improve emergency response capabilities.
MLA Shimla Harish Janartha, Chairman, HP Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Nardev Singh Kanwar, Additional Director General and Director, Fire Services, Satwant Atwal, Chief Fire Officer Sanjeev Kumar, along with other senior officers of the department were also present on the occasion.
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Deputy Chief Minister visits Shree Jadkhor Gaudham in Rajasthan
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, along with Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. (Colonel) Dhaniram Shandil today visited the renowned Shree Jadkhor Gaudham in Diga (Pahlwara), Rajasthan.
Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister said that cow protection was not just a matter of religious faith but an invaluable part of Indian culture and the Sanatan tradition and it is the responsibility of every citizen to preserve it. He praised the disciplined management, dedication and spirit of service at the Gaudham and described its exemplary practices as inspirational for society.
The Shree Jadkhor Gaudham provides shelter and protection to over 10,000 cows, safeguarding them from trafficking and road hazards. Spread over approximately 80 acres its five gaushalas are equipped with modern CCTV surveillance covering an area of about 14 kilometres. Each day the most gentle and well-behaved cow is declared the “Pradhan Gau” and specially worshipped by Param Pujya Swami Rajendra Dass Devacharya Ji Maharaj.
Deputy Chief Minister also participated in the Krishna Balram Gauaradhan Festival. He expressed gratitude to the Gaudham management, volunteers and Maharaj Ji and called the Gaudham a living centre of spiritual and social consciousness.
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Government to soon start Rogi Mitra scheme for elderly: CM
- State government providing pension to 6.71 lakh elderly
- Flags off a Cycling Rally and Walkathon
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today presided over the State-level celebration function of 'International Day of Older Persons-2025' at the historic Ridge in Shimla. He said that the State government was making concerted efforts to provide better facilities and social security to the senior citizens.
Sh. Sukhu said that the state government was providing social security pensions between Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 1,700 per month to 6,71,754 to all the eligible senior citizens keeping at bay the income limit. The Men aged between 60 to 69 years were being provided Rs. 1,000 per month while women in the same age group were getting Rs. 1,500 per month. All the senior citizens above the age of 70 years were given Rs. 1,700 monthly. He further said that under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojna, 2.37 lakh women in the State were also being provided monthly pension of Rs. 1,500. The Government was also providing financial assistance of rupees three lakh to single and widowed women for house construction.
A 'Sukh Aashray Parisar' was also being constructed at Jwalamukhi with an estimated expenditure of Rs. 100 crore where senior citizens would be provided with all the necessary facilities so as to make them feel at home. He said that in the near future 'Rogi Mitra Yojana' would also be launched for the regular health check-ups of senior citizens.
The Chief Minister said that since the present state government came to power, added priority was being given to the social welfare sector with focus on the policies being framed in this direction. Highlighting the government’s focus on social welfare, Sh. Sukhu said that Himachal Pradesh is the first State in the country to enact a law granting orphan children the status of ‘Children of the State’. These children are supported until the age of 27, including their education, professional studies, and monthly pocket money of Rs. 4,000. Every year, they are sent for exposure visits, with all travel, stay, and boarding expenses borne by the government.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the transformational reforms in the education sector, noting that Himachal Pradesh has jumped from 21st to 5th position in the national education rankings. He stated that 100 schools will soon be converted into CBSE-based institutions to provide better education opportunities to children in villages. Due to these reforms in the education sector the people would witness up-gradation in the education system within the next two to three years, remarked Sh. Sukhu.
To strengthen health infrastructure the medical colleges were being equipped with modern equipments of world class technology. He said that the old equipment was being replaced with modern machines matching standards with that in AIIMS-Delhi with an estimated cost Rs. 300 crore. Sh. Sukhu reiterated that robotic surgery has already been started at Chamiana and Tanda Medical Colleges at a nominal cost of Rs. 30,000, while the same procedure costs nearly Rs. 2 lakh in private hospitals. The Chief Minister reiterated that despite pressure from the Central Government to implement NPS, the State government restored the Old Pension Scheme, prioritizing welfare over political gains, even as several financial restrictions have been imposed by the Centre.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister honoured Yashpal, Keshav Ram, Sumitra Chandel, retired IAS officer Shrinivas Joshi, Hiranand Shandilya and Narendra Kataria from Shimla district, Prof. Amar Singh Chauhan, Rajendra Kumar Sharma and Vidyanand Saraik from Sirmaur, Dr P.K. Pathania, Help Age India Solan and Shalendra Panwar from Solan, Milap Singh from Hamirpur, Anita Thakur from Kullu, Mast Ram Verma and Jamnu Ram from Bilaspur, International sportsman Ajit Singh from Una, and Manohar Lal Sharma from Mandi for their outstanding contributions.
Earlier, the Chief Minister flagged off a Cycling Rally and Walkathon and visited exhibition stalls set up by various Women Self-Help Groups. The programme also featured a ramp walk by senior citizens aged between 60 and 82. Colourful cultural performances were also presented on the occasion.
MLA Harish Janartha, Mayor Surinder Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal, HP Scheduled Caste Commission Kuldeep Kumar, Member Vijay Dogra and Digvijay Malhotra, Chairman HPBOCWWB Nardev Singh Kanwar, Secretary, Ashish Singhmar, Director ESOMSA Sumit Kimta, Councillors, Former Deputy Mayor Tikender Singh Panwar, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
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Himachal wins national certificate of recognition for Aadhaar face authentication
The spokesperson of the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department (FCS) today informed that Himachal Pradesh has received National recognition for its innovative use of Aadhaar-based face authentication. The state has been awarded by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for being the first in the country to implement this technology in the delivery of PDS rations. This award presents Himachal Pradesh’s leadership in leveraging digital solutions for efficient and transparent public service delivery.
The award was presented on 29th September 2025 during the Aadhaar Day celebrations held in Hyderabad under UIDAI’s national initiative “Samvad” programme.
The spokesperson said that Himachal Pradesh leads in introducing face authentication based ration distribution at fair price depots. The solution was developed by the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department in consultation with the DDTG Department and UIDAI. The innovation is cost-effective, simple to operate and ensures stronger governance with a higher authentication success rate.
He said that this initiative has made beneficiary verification seamless, especially for senior citizens, specially-abled residents and people living in remote areas, who often face difficulties in traditional authentication methods such as fingerprints and OTPs.