Shimla-07.01.26-

CM releases calendar of ARDB Bank

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today released the calendar for the year 2026 of the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank.

Chairman of the Bank, Sanjay Singh Chauhan detailed the Chief Minister about the various activities of the bank and schemes. He informed that, during the past year, loans were provided to eligible beneficiaries in accordance with the directions of the State Government, ensuring timely financial assistance to those in need.

Managing Director Harish Gajju and General Manager R.M. Jhamalta were also present on the occasion.

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Senior residency policy to be framed for medical colleges: CM

· MD and MS programmes to be expanded across medical colleges

Presiding over a high-level meeting of the Health Education and Health Department here today, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the State Government would formulate a comprehensive 'Senior Residency Policy' for all medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh. The policy will focus on rationalisation of senior resident posts to ensure optimal utilization of human resources in medical institutions.

The Chief Minister stated that the quota for General Duty Officers (GDOs) in senior residency would be enhanced to 66 percent, as against the existing 50:50 ratio between GDOs and direct recruitment.

He further informed that MD and MS programmes in additional disciplines will be introduced in the medical colleges at Chamba, Nahan, Hamirpur and Nerchowk, which will significantly strengthen the state’s healthcare infrastructure and academic capacity.

The Chief Minister said that Doctorate of Medicine (DM) and Master of Chirurgiae (MCh) super-specialists would be appointed in medical colleges to augment specialized healthcare services. He also announced that state-of-the-art ICUs equipped with advanced medical technology will be established in all medical colleges.

To enhance patient facilitation and service delivery, the State Government will appoint 1,000 Patient Care Assistants (Rogi Mitras) i.e. 500 in medical colleges and 500 in other health institutions. A pilot project will be launched from Hamirpur district, for which a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has already been prepared. In the initial phase, Rogi Mitras will be deployed at Primary Health Centres, said Sh. Sukhu.

Additionally, Rogi Mitras will also be deployed on a pilot basis to assist patients above 70 years of age at Chamiyana Hospital, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College Tanda and Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) Shimla. Dedicated Rogi Mitra counters will also be established in these institutions, remarked the Chief Minister.

Data Entry Operators will be deployed in various OPDs of medical colleges to ensure systematic recording and management of patient-related data. Emphasizing the State Government’s commitment to healthcare excellence, the Chief Minister said that innovative measures along with long-term strategic planning were being implemented to strengthen health education and services, with the objective of making Himachal Pradesh one of the leading states in the country in the healthcare sector.

Chief Minister Principal Advisor, IT, Innovation and Digital technology, Secretary Health Priyanka Basu Ingty, Special Secretary Health Ashwani Sharma and Jitender Sanjta, Director Health Education Dr. Rakesh Sharma and Dr. Gopal Beri, other senior of both the departments were present in the meeting.

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Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu being presented a cheque of Rupees 2,11,000 toward CM Relief Fund by Health Minister Colonel (Dr.) Dhani Ram Shandil on the behalf of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Development Corporation at Shimla on 7th January 2026.Chairman Lal Singh Kaushal and Managing Director Ajay Kumar Yadav were also present on the occasion

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CM launches tourism department’s ‘That’s You’ campaign

An initiative to offer tourists an extended stay

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today launched the ‘That’s You’ campaign of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department. The campaign marks a significant shift in the State’s tourism policy, moving beyond tourism limited to conventional destinations and promoting the concept of slow tourism.

The Chief Minister said that the campaign has been specially designed to welcome tourists at the State’s entry points, airports and heritage railway stations, with the aim of creating a deeper and more personal connection between travelers and the Himalayan natural environment.

Sh. Sukhu stated that this move towards 'Slow tourism' also reflects the State Government’s commitment to environmental sustainability. By encouraging longer stays in lesser-known villages and greater participation in local tradition and culture, the campaign seeks to strengthen the local economy, reduce pressure on popular tourist destinations and bring the natural beauty of rural areas into focus. In a fast paced world, 'That's You' campaign encourages visitors to pause and prolong their stay intermixing with locals to know more about the culture, customs and cusine.

Director of Tourism Vivek Bhatia said that the campaign would be implemented at major arrival points, including the Chandigarh-Shimla entry route, Gaggal, Bhuntar airport and in historic Kalka-Shimla toy train route.

The Chief Minister’s Principal Advisor (Innovation, Digital Technology and Governance) Gokul Butail and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.

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Contribution towards CM Relief Fund

Researchers of Panjab University, Chandigarh and members of the Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress, Dr. Rohit Bhota and Ashish Pal, under the leadership of Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress President Chhattar Singh Thakur, presented a cheque of Rs. one lakh to Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
The amount was collected with the support and contributions of professors, students and research scholars of Panjab University.
The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude for this noble gesture.
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Expedite Roster and Backlog Vacancy Issues

A review meeting on issues concerning Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) was convened here today by the Department of Empowerment of SCs, STS, OBCs, Minorities and the Specially Abled (ESOMSA) to discuss matters related to Divyangjans, particularly the demands raised by the Blind Persons Association.

While discussing various PwD-related issues, Director ESOMSA Sumit Khimta said that only the Animal Husbandry and Printing & Stationery Departments have so far issued advertisements to fill backlog posts. He urged the remaining departments to expedite filling the posts reserved for Persons with Disabilities.

"The School Education Department has declared final results for JBT posts reserved for Persons with Disabilities. A total of 119 JBT posts have been filled, including 50 for the visually impaired, 49 for the orthopedically handicapped, 11 for the hearing impaired, 8 for those with multiple disabilities, and 1 for the intellectually disabled," he revealed.

He added that an advertisement has been issued for 94 TGT posts by the School Education Department of which 26 are reserved for the visually impaired, 22 for the hearing impaired, 13 for those who are intellectually impaired or on the autism spectrum, and 10 for those with multiple disabilities.

The meeting also addressed the mandatory HIM bus card requirement for free travel in HRTC buses. Khimta stated that directions had been issued to organize special camps to help Persons with Disabilities obtain the bus card. However, the Blind Persons Association demanded that the HIM bus card not be made mandatory for PwDs to avail free travel in HRTC buses and that they be exempted instead. The association has challenged this matter in the High Court.

Other issues discussed included enhancing the Disability Relief Allowance (DRA) under the Social Security Pension for Divyangjans; appointing an independent State Commissioner for persons with disabilities; implementing the Sahara Pension Yojana; providing houses under the Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojana to visually impaired persons without conditions; and raising the retirement age for Divyangjan employees from 58 to 60 years.

The Blind Persons Association reported that the Sahara Pension Yojana has not been provided to beneficiaries for the past six months, the matter was referred to the Health and Family Welfare Department.

Shobhu Ram, President of the Blind Persons Association, thanked the chair for convening the meeting and executing the process to fill posts for the PwDs by the State Government. He urged the authorities to expedite the process so that backlog vacancies can be filled soon.

Among others present were Controller (Printing & Stationery) Prabha Rajiv, senior officers from various departments besides members of Blind Persons and specially abled Associations.

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CM releases calendar of Kangra Co-operative Agri and Rural Development Bank Samiti

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today released the calendar for the year 2026 of the Kangra Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Samiti.

Chairman Ram Chand Pathania thanked the Chief Minister for the same.