SHIMLA -10^th October, 2025

Government mulls to establish Cyber City at Waknaghat: CM

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu chaired a high-level meeting of Digital Technologies and Governance Department here today. He said that the government was planning to establish a Cyber City to be spread over 650 bighas of land at Waknaghat in Solan district from where data storage, artificial intelligence (AI), and other IT-based enterprises would operate. He directed the department to finalize the detailed blueprint of the project at the earliest. Highlighting the IT sector as a priority area, Sh. Sukhu said the government was taking concrete measures to promote technological advancement and attract investment in IT infrastructure across the state.

Reviewing the ongoing construction of the Centre of Excellence at Waknaghat, the Chief Minister directed that the work be expedited and an AI lab to be established within the Centre. He also instructed for early completion of IT Parks at Chaitaru in Kangra and Mehli in Shimla by December 2025.

Underlining the importance of digital transformation in governance the Chief Minister stated that all the departments must digitize their operations to ensure efficient and citizen-friendly service delivery. “The state government aims to provide maximum public services at the door step of the people through a single click,” he said, adding that every department should fully adopt IT solutions and work through the e-Office system to enhance transparency and efficiency.

He further directed for organizing workshops to familiarize government officials with e-file management and emerging technologies, encouraging their widespread use across the departments. The Chief Minister also instructed that nodal officers be appointed in every department to facilitate the monitoring of online progress of his announcements, and directed that all officers of the Secretariat must mandatorily record their attendance.

Principal Advisor (IT and Innovations) to the Chief Minister Gokul Butail, Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta, Secretary (IT) Ashish Singhmar, Director (IT) Dr. Nipun Jindal, Labour and Employment Commissioner Virender Sharma were present in the meeting amongst others.

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Himachal Pradesh deserves green bonus for ecological services to nation: CM

With a view to realise the vision of Natural and Green State, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated that the State has made rapid strides in this direction. "The word 'Natural' not only highlights the natural beauty of our State but it also reflects the government's perspective towards development and environment", he said. Be it the agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, forestry, industry or transport sector, our consistent effort is to ensure that our vision for development and its principles are Natural, he remarked.

Our government has taken effective steps to develop the State as a Green Energy State by March 31, 2026, stated Sh. Sukhu, adding further that if we use almost 90 percent renewable or green energy sources for the State's total energy consumption, (which is approximately 14,000 million units), we can truly call ourselves a Green State directly benefiting the industrial and agricultural production in the State. The state is progressing rapidly in this direction, he said.

The state government is promoting e-buses in HRTC's fleet by converting the transport fleet into e-vehicles. The greenhouse gas emissions which were approximately 16-20 percent from the transport sector has been considerably reduced. To provide clean and green transport to the people of the state, including tourists, the government is converting diesel buses into e-buses in a phased manner. The HRTC has issued tenders to purchase 297 electric buses at a cost of Rs 412 crore and charging stations are also being set up at bus stations at a cost of Rs 124 crore. In addition to the purchase of these e-buses, 500 more e-buses will be purchased in the financial year 2025-26. He said that this measure of the government was proving to be helpful in protection and conservation of environmental recourses besides minimizing air pollution.

The Chief Minister said that the Rajiv Gandhi Swarojgar Start-up Yojana has proved to be a boon for the unemployed youth of the State wherein 50 percent subsidy was being provided for the purchase of e-taxis. These e-taxis have also been attached to various government departments, corporations, boards and other institutions. Under the e-taxi scheme, so far approx 50 e-taxis have been attached to government departments. So far approximately Rs. 4.22 crore has been disbursed to 59 eligible youth and subsidy to 61 more beneficiaries would be released shortly. He said that this would not only provide gainful employment to youth, but also ensure assured income for a period of five years by attaching them with government offices and with a provision of two years extension.

He said that six green corridors are being constructed in the state and soon 41 additional charging stations would be set up in these corridors. The present government has provided 100 percent exemption in the road tax and 50 per cent exemption in the special road tax on registration of e-commercial vehicles. With the aim of protecting the environment, all petrol and diesel auto rickshaws operating in the state are being replaced with e-auto rickshaws, he remarked.

He said that with the aim of providing self-employment opportunities to the youth, the government is also providing new permits for 1,000 bus routes to the private sector besides subsidy of up to 40 per cent on e-buses and tempo travelers on specific routes.

As Himachal Pradesh is the lungs of North India, our efforts in the preservation of natural wealth will go long ahead in maintaining the balance of ecology and the environment. Our State offers ecological services, to the Nation in the form of soil, water, clean air and a favourable climate, he said. "It is unfortunate that so far, there has been no compensation for our opportunity cost in the form of green bonus and therefore, the state government has strongly advocated regarding Himachal's invaluable contribution with the Centre and the 16th Finance Commission ", he reiterated.

The Government will be initiating a technical and scientific evaluation of the contribution of Himachal Pradesh's ecological services to the Nation's environment which as per estimates, if gets through, can fetch approximately Rs. 90,000 crore annually for the State, said the Chief Minister.

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Education Minister releases album song ‘Thundal Gatha’

Education Minister Rohit Thakur today here released the album song “Thundal Gatha” composed and sung by Chirag Jyoti Majhta. He said that the song beautifully portrays the ancient cultural and historical significance of the region.

He said that the song is based on a nearly seven hundred year old folk tale from the ancient village of Thundal located in Chopal Assembly Constituency of Shimla district. He lauded the creative endeavor of the entire team and said that such initiatives play a vital role in preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage and glorious traditions of Himachal Pradesh.

Rohit Thakur said that his ancestors also hailed from Thundal village and through this song an admirable attempt has been made to revive the historical saga of migration and valor associated with the village. He said that the song provides glimpses of the region’s ancient lifestyle, customs and traditions while reflecting the depth of local folklore and oral history.

He congratulated Chirag Jyoti Majhta for giving voice to the verses of story teller late Meena Ram Sanghaik in the traditional form and extended best wishes to the entire team for composing the song with dedication and authenticity.

The Minister said that “Thundal Gatha” brings alive a heroic tale from the bygone era. The story revolves around Bidan, the village head of Thundal, who comes into conflict with the then ruler after refusing to pay land revenue (lagan). The disagreement eventually escalates into a fierce battle, leading to the burning of the village by the royal army. Subsequently, the residents of Thundal migrate to distant places such as Barthata in Jubbal region, Kathwar in Sirmaur district and Balsan area.

He said that this song was sung in the pure and traditional musical style of the region and stands as a testimony to the people’s spirit of struggle, self-respect and cultural pride. It is a remarkable effort to reconnect the younger generation with their roots and to keep alive the glorious heritage of Himachal’s folk traditions.

Music Director Surinder Negi, Promoter Gaurav Gangta and local resident Dr. Gopal Sanghaik were also present on the occasion.

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Press Statement of Education Minister Rohit Thakur issued on 10th October, 2025 at Shimla

Education Minister Rohit Thakur, while addressing a press conference here today, strongly refuted the allegations of the opposition regarding postponement of Panchayat elections in the State. He clarified that the deferment of Panchayat elections was purely due to administrative reasons based on valid recommendations from officials who have suggested to defer the election as the restoration and rehabilitation works are being carried out after severe natural disaster.

He said that the BJP has displayed double standards, as they themselves had delayed Corporation elections by a year in 2022. Not only that, the elections were deferred in many other states under BJP rule for various reasons. Yet, the BJP chooses to ignore such contexts while criticizing the Congress Government. The decision to defer elections was made in consideration of citizen safety and the approaching harsh winter.

Since 2023, Himachal Pradesh has faced severe natural calamities, claiming around 700 lives and losses exceeding Rs. 15,000 crore to the infrastructure. While the previous BJP government failed to ensure preparedness, the Congress Government acted proactively and issued Rs. 4,500 crore special relief package from State's resources and significantly increasing compensation for fully and partially damaged houses in the year 2023. The government has also extended support to agriculturists, horticulturists, shop owners, displaced families and urban and rural households.

The Education Minister said that he and his Cabinet colleagues met central ministers to apprise about of the State’s situation and appealed for assistance for affected families. Despite these persistent efforts, the Centre did not provide the support required, as the opposition repeatedly obstructed the process. Instead of playing the role of constructive opposition, the BJP misleads the public, raises baseless questions on the official visits of state congress leaders and indulges in personal attacks which show their inability to highlight genuine issues. The opposition has utterly failed to represent Himachal Pradesh’s legitimate rights at the Centre, not securing even a single penny in relief for the State. Instead, they are entirely consumed with finding faults and attacking every constructive initiative of the Congress Government which shows their complete disregard for the welfare of the people of the state they claim to be fighting for.

The Minister also highlighted the historic transformation in education under the Congress Government, which has earned national recognition. English-medium education has been introduced from Class 1^st and 100 Government Senior Secondary Schools will be affiliated with CBSE from the next academic session. Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools with modern infrastructure are being established in every Assembly constituency, offering world class infrastructure and facilities to the students. Over 7000 teachers have been appointed and more than 7,000 posts filled in the last two and a half years, compared to the previous BJP government. Schools with zero and very low student enrolment have been rationalized for optimal resource utilization. The decision to retire teachers only at the end of the academic session was made to ensure uninterrupted education of the students.

The Minister said that repair and reconstruction of disaster-affected schools is being given top priority, and each assembly constituency will have at least one CBSE-affiliated school to provide quality education. The Education Department has been reorganized for better coordination, with one directorate overseeing school education and another handling higher education. Initiatives like Bag-Free Day, promotion of local dialect, school adoption and exposure visits for students and teachers to countries like Cambodia and Singapore just to strengthen the learning outcomes and community engagement.

Over the past two and a half years, Himachal Pradesh has made remarkable progress in education achieving the goal of becoming a fully literate state, rising from 21st position in 2021 to among the top five states.

He said that over 87,000 students have benefited from scholarships, including the Dr. Y.S. Parmar Vidyarthi Rin Yojna, Mukhyamantri Sukh Shiksha Yojna and many other schemes, with Rs. 92 crore disbursed in two years. The Bal Poshtik Aahar Yojna provides nutritious meals to over 5.34 lakh students across 15,181 schools. Many other schemes are being implemented to support various sections of the societies, including SC/ST, OBC, economically weaker students, children with disabilities, and children of widowed or divorced women, ensuring inclusive education.

Rohit Thakur also highlighted the financial challenges facing the State. GST rationalization has caused a direct loss of over Rs. 1,000 crore, due to the reduction of GST on cement from 28 percent to 18 percent. Revenue Deficit Grant has dropped from Rs. 10,249 crore in 2021-22 to Rs. 3,257 crore in the current fiscal year, placing additional strain on the State exchequer. Despite these constraints, the Congress Government continues to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities and make all possible efforts for providing essential services, disaster relief and quality education.

Rohit Thakur said that while BJP leaders indulge in baseless criticism and political point-scoring, the Congress Government remains fully committed to the welfare of the people and rebuilding the State while transforming education and promoting local culture. The tangible improvements in literacy, school infrastructure, learning outcomes and student welfare clearly demonstrate the government’s focus on long-term growth, equity and excellence in all sectors.