SHIMLA -4 November, 2025
Chief Minister flags off 66 patrol vehicles for ten districts
- Major campaign against drug abuse will be launched across state: CM
- State-of-the-art Road Safety Control and Command Center to be established in Hamirpur
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today flagged-off 66 patrol vehicles from here today. These vehicles are being deployed at various police stations in 10 districts of the state including Shimla, Mandi, Kangra, Hamirpur, Una, Bilaspur, Kullu, Sirmaur, Solan and Chamba. Purchased at a cost of Rs. 18.42 crore, these vehicles include 35 electric vehicles, 14 interceptor vehicles, 10 wrecker vehicles and 7 WD diesel vehicles.
Speaking on this occasion, the Chief Minister stated that the state government's objective was not only to reduce road accidents but also to develop a safe and disaster-resilient transport system. He added that road accidents had consistently declined over the past three years in the state.
He remarked that this positive change was possible only through the joint efforts of the police, transport department, public works department, Himachal Pradesh Road and Infrastructure Development Corporation, health department and other related agencies. He added that the deployment of wrecker vehicles would help restore normal traffic on the roads by promptly removing vehicles after accidents.
Sh. Sukhu stated that the government would soon establish a state-of-the-art road safety control and command center in Hamirpur at a cost of approximately Rs. 30 crore as part of the integrated road safety enforcement system, which would be connected to modern cameras being installed across the state. The police department would use this system for e-challans, traffic monitoring and ensuring discipline and safety on the roads. This center would not only strengthen road safety but would also help generate additional revenue for the state.
The Chief Minister stated that numerous road safety improvements were being made in the state under the Himachal Pradesh State Road Transformation Project. Approximately Rs. 60 crore were being spent to purchase 3,373 road safety enforcement devices for the police department under the project which would be distributed in 10 districts to further strengthen the road safety.
"The police department will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to make Himachal Pradesh Police number one in the country. As many as 1,200 constables have been recruited in the police department and after eight years, the state government is conducting the B-1 test for police promotions. The department is doing commendable work to curb the drug menace across the state and is launching a major campaign against it" said the Chief Minister.
Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, Vice Chairman State Planning Board Bhawani Singh Pathania, MLAs Sanjay Awasthi, Neeraj Nair and Vivek Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary K.K. Pant, Director General of Police Ashok Tiwari and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
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Providing quality technical education to student main focus: CM
Expresses concern over vacant buildings, directs for optimum use
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said that providing quality technical education to the students within the State was the focus of the present state government so as to equip them with market relevant skills that enhance employability.
While reviewing the functioning of the Technical Education department here today, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the vacant buildings and said that seven buildings constructed at a cost of Rs. 126.45 crore between the year 2018 to 2023 were lying vacant. He directed the department to formulate an action plan for the optimum utilization of these buildings in public interest. He said that wastage of public funds in the name of mere construction was not acceptable.
Sh. Sukhu instructed the department to grade the Industrial Training Institutes and Polytechnic Colleges as per the enrolment of the students, overall performance and other facilities available in these institutions. The state government was committed to strengthen the Technical Education department to provide quality education to the students. He said that the government would fill up the vacant posts in the technical education institutions and also extend all possible assistance to these institutions.
He also stressed on introducing new age courses in the technical education institutions to ensure that youths were trained for emerging employment sectors. He expressed happiness over the introduction of M. Tech (EV-Tech) course in Hydro Engineering College, Bandla in Bilaspur district with an intake of 30 students.
The Chief Minister said that the state government was promoting innovation in the state and 'State Innovation and Start-Up Policy-2025' was underway to encourage entrepreneurship. The government was also contemplating to establish a Digital University of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Skill and Vocational Studies at Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district for which 258 bighas of land had been identified.
He also reviewed the functioning of Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam and Himachal Pradesh Takniki Shiksha Board and issued necessary directions for bringing improvements in their functioning.
Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, State Convenor of Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam Atul Karohta, Special Secretary, Technical Education Suneel Sharma, Director, Technical Education Akshay Sood and other senior officers of the Department were present in the meeting.
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शिमला-4 नवम्बर, 2025
सी.एस.एस.आर. प्रतियोगिता में 14वीं वाहिनी, एन.डी.आर.एफ. नूरपुर अव्वल रही
14वीं वाहिनी, एन.डी.आर.एफ. नूरपुर द्वारा आयोजित सी.एस.एस.आर प्रतियोगिता 2025 के समापन समारोह की अध्यक्षता आज कमांडेंट, 14वीं वाहिनी एन.डी.आर.एफ. बलजिन्दर सिंह ने की।
मुख्य अतिथि ने विजेता खिलाड़ियों को पदक, ट्रॉफी एवं प्रमाणपत्र प्रदान किए। प्रतियोगिता में 14वीं वाहिनी, एन.डी.आर.एफ. नूरपुर ने उत्कृष्ट प्रदर्शन करते हुए प्रथम स्थान प्राप्त किया।
उन्होंने टीमों को बधाई देते हुए कहा गया कि इस प्रकार की प्रतियोगिताएं एन.डी.आर.एफ. के कर्मियों की दक्षता, त्वरित प्रतिक्रिया क्षमता और आपदा प्रबंधन कौशल को और अधिक सुदृढ़ करती हैं।
इस वर्ष की प्रतियोगिता में 7वीं, 13वीं, 14वीं तथा 15वीं वाहिनी एन.डी.आर.एफ. की टीमों ने भाग लिया। प्रतियोगिताओं में जवानों ने अपनी श्रेष्ठता का परिचय दिया और उत्कृष्ट कार्य कुशलता का प्रदर्शन किया। प्रतियोगिता के दौरान टीमों में कड़ी प्रतिस्पर्धा देखने को मिली, जिसने प्रतियोगिता को अत्यंत रोमांचक बना दिया।
इस प्रतियोगिता का उद्देश्य आपदा प्रबंधन अभियानों के दौरान प्रयुक्त उपकरणों के कुशल उपयोग, टीम भावना, तकनीकी दक्षता तथा आपातकालीन प्रतिक्रिया क्षमता का परीक्षण एवं संवर्द्धन करना था।
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Press statement of Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. (Col) Dhani Ram Shandil issued from Shimla on 04 November, 2025
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. (Col) Dhani Ram Shandil has strongly refuted the allegations of the Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Mahajan, in which they have claimed that despite adequate financial assistance from the Centre, the Himachal government has failed to utilize funds and take the state ahead on path of development.
The Minister said that fact is that the Centre has failed in providing adequate and timely financial assistance to the state, particularly in the aftermath of recent natural disasters. He said the funds are a right of the state and the Centre must provide significant aid to manage the severe financial crisis and recovery efforts. The Centre released only Rs. 433.70 crore in disaster relief for the 2023 monsoon season, while the state suffered losses estimated at around Rs. 9,000 to Rs. 10,000 crore. The total losses over the last three years due to natural calamities are estimated at Rs. 18,000 crore.
Dr. Shandil said that central government has been indulged in step motherly treatment and discriminating against Himachal Pradesh being a Congress-ruled state.
He remarked the state government requested Rs. 9,042 crore in financial assistance following a post-disaster assessment by a central team, but has not received this amount. The Centre has, however, approved a recovery plan of Rs. 2006.40 crore for the year 2023 monsoon damages under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), which is not sufficient.
"The reduction in revenue deficit grants and cuts in borrowing limits have further strained the state's financial position, making it difficult to undertake development and relief work" said the Minister. He emphasized that the state government is using its own limited resources and has implemented internal reforms to manage the situation.
Dr. Shandil said that the wrong policies of the previous BJP government in the State led to the financial mess in Himachal Pradesh and it left a debt burden of over Rs.75,000 crore besides Rs. 10,000 crore liabilities towards the employees. However, the present government under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has taken several effective measures to achieve financial discipline, strengthening rural economy, creating job opportunities for the youth and ensuring welfare of all sections of the society. He said the state government will not hesitate in taking tough decisions which alone can help the state become self-reliant by 2027.
He said that the BJP distributed freebies during the 2022 Assembly elections and fourteen types of subsidies were given which now have been rationalized by the Sukhu government.
Accusing the Leader of Opposition for spreading lies regarding non-fulfillment of any guarantee by the state government, he said that the Congress government has already realized six of its guarantees on ground during the last three years but it is an irony that the BJP leaders cannot see it.
The Minister said that Jai Ram Thakur's claim that the state government failed to make solid steps to provide relief to the affected families of the 2023 and 2025 natural disaster is also a big lie as he must be aware that for the first time, the government has significantly enhanced its disaster relief package for disaster-hit families across the state, along with significant policy reforms and infrastructure upgrades. Under the package, the compensation of Rs. 1.30 lakh for a completely damaged house has been increased more than five times to rupees seven lakh. Apart from this, the compensation has been increased significantly for undertaking various relief and rehabilitation activities.
As far as the vision for development of the state was concerned, the BJP leaders must remember that the present government has taken several historic and bold decisions aimed at speedy and all-round development. He reminded them that Himachal Pradesh has become the first state of the country to make a law for education and health care of the orphaned children by starting the Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Ashray Yojana. The government has restarted old pension scheme for its employees and it is for the first time that minimum support price has been given for milk and buffalo milk. Similarly, MSP has been introduced for the first time for the maize and wheat produced through natural farming and both these steps are aimed to strengthen rural economy which would go a long way in making Himachal a prosperous and self-reliant state.
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CM directs Fisheries department to adopt modern technology for enhancing fish produce
While presiding over the meeting of the Fisheries department here today, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed the department to incorporate modern technology to enhance the shelf life of fish produce. He said that the state government would establish new hatcheries and cold stores along the rivers and water reservoirs to benefit the farmers engaged in this occupation. He directed the department to identify suitable land parcels to set up new cold stores across the state.
Sh. Sukhu said that the present state government was emphasising to strengthen the rural economy and fisheries sector had a significant role to play in this regard. He directed the department to extend handholding support and modern technology to the farmers to increase their income. The state government was supporting farmers by offering subsidies for the purchase of various fisheries related equipment. He said that the department should organize awareness programmes for the farmers on modern practices, improved seed varieties and emerging technologies in the fisheries sector, so that they could benefit from the advancements in this field.
The Chief Minister stressed the need to enhance fish seed stocking in the dams and water reservoirs across the state from the next season to increase farmer's income. He instructed the department to gear up for this exercise and assess seed requirements for the next year.
Sh. Sukhu said that fish production was increasing in the state and 19,019 metric tonne fish production was recorded in the financial year 2024-25, whereas this year till October month 7773 metric tonne fish production had been achieved. Himachal Pradesh was famous for trout fish production and the state government would establish a corpus fund for the trout fish rearers to provide compensation for losses incurred due to natural calamities.
Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board Bhawani Singh Pathania, MLAs Sanjay Awasthy, Neeraj Nayyar, Malender Rajan and Vivek Sharma, Director Fisheries Vivek Chandel and other senior officers also attended the meeting.