SHIMLA-4^th September, 2025

Government relaxes MGNREGA norms to expedite repair of damaged rural infrastructure: CM

In view of the widespread destruction caused by the ongoing monsoon, the Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to relax norms under MGNREGS to ensure timely relief and rehabilitation. This would allow additional works to be undertaken as per actual demand for employment in rural areas, particularly for the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure.

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the State has suffered massive loss due to cloudbursts, incessant rains, flash floods and landslides, which have severely impacted agriculture, horticulture, livestock and rural infrastructure. He assured that the Government was committed to extend all possible support to the affected people.

To accelerate restoration, Deputy Commissioners have been empowered to approve new works under MGNREGA without waiting for prior approval from gram sabha. Ex-post facto approval from gram sabha, panchayat samiti and zila parishad would be obtained later keeping in view the practical impossibility of holding such meeting during the prevailing weather conditions.

The Chief Minister further said that Deputy Commissioners can now sanction all categories of works, including land development projects, by relaxing the earlier cap of 20 works per gram panchayat. In addition, the financial ceiling for individual work of land development projects has been increased from rupees one lakh to rupees two lakh per beneficiary.

Shri Sukhu said that this initiative would not only help rebuild damaged rural infrastructure but also generate much-needed employment opportunities for the rural population during this challenging period. He said that the state government was making every effort to support people in distress.

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46locations identified for expansion of charging stations for electric buses in Himachal

To be set up at 34 priority sites: Deputy Chief Minister

Another significant step has been taken to strengthen the green transport system in the State. A proposal of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has been approved for the development of e-charging stations at 53 locations for the smooth operation of 327 electric buses.

The Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said that a budget of Rs 20 crore has been sanctioned by the State Government for this ambitious project. In addition, financial assistance of Rs. 110.95 crore has been received from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). A total of 90 potential sites were surveyed out of which 46 locations have been finalized. On a priority basis, charging stations will be set up at 34 locations including Shimla Local, Theog Bus Stand, Nurpur, Fatehpur, Dharamshala, Palampur, Baijnath, Hamirpur, Hamirpur Bus Stand, Nadaun Bus Stand, new Electric Depot Nadaun, Una, Bangana, Amb, Bilaspur, Ghumarwin, Sundernagar, Jogindernagar, Mandi, Arki, Parwanoo, Nalagarh, Nahan, Paonta Sahib, Shree Renukaji, Kullu, Manali, Chamba, Bharmour, Dalhousie, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Reckong Peo and Keylong.

Shri Agnihotri stated that Himachal Pradesh was paving the way for other states in the country in the field of e-mobility. Through this project, the State Government is not only ensuring environmental protection but also creating new opportunities for employment generation and infrastructure development.

He further said that the installation of electrical transformers for charging stations would be undertaken by Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited, while the civil works will be carried out Himachal Pradesh Bus Stands Management & Development Authority (HP BSM&DA). The project will be executed in two phases to ensure all necessary arrangements are made before the arrival of the first fleet of e-buses.

The Deputy Chief Minister added that this project will not only make the transport system of the State more environment-friendly but will also strengthen transportation services in both urban and rural areas.

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Free service of HRTC continues for safe return of Mani Mahesh pilgrims: Mukesh Agnihotri

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today said that Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) was continuously providing free service to safely transport the pilgrims returning from Mani Mahesh Yatra. He informed that so far about 6,647 pilgrims had been transported to Pathankot and Kangra free of cost through 153 buses.

He said that the state government was giving top priority for convenience and safety of the pilgrims. The officials had been instructed that no passenger should face any kind of inconvenience and arrangements should be made to safely transport everyone to their destination.

Mukesh Agnihotri said that in this hour of disaster, it was the responsibility of the government and HRTC to ensure safe return of the pilgrims home. The free service of the HRTC would continue until the last passenger reaches home safely.

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34 health institutions to be equipped with new CT scan machines soon : Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil

Health and Family affairs Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil while chairing a high power purchase committee meeting here today stated that 34 health institutions would soon be equipped with the state-of-the-art CT scan machines. He said that the procurement and installation of these machines would be completed within three months and by December, 2025, the machines would be installed. "This would offer modern and reliable CT scan services to the people at nearby places and would also reduce their dependence on private service providers," stated the Health Minister.

These machines would be installed Civil Hospitals Paonta Sahib, Rajgarh, Arki, Nalagarh, Nadaun, Dehra, Jawali, Amb, Chopal, Rohru, Theog, Reckong Peo, Mandi, Bilaspur, Nurpur, Ghumarwin, Karsog, Sundernagar, Sarkaghat Jogindernagar, Manali, Anni, Bharmour, Chowari and Bhoranj, Zonal Hospitals Dharamshala and DDU Shimla, Regional Hospitals Una, Solan, Keylong and Kullu, MGMSC Khaneri Rampur and various other places.

The Health Minister said that the modernization and strengthening of health infrastructure and expansion of quality healthcare services across the state was the utmost priority of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. "The Chief Minister has conveyed that the requirements of the health sector would be fulfilled without any financial constraint in order to provide quality services to the patients," said Dr. Shandil, adding that that the Chief Minister has asked to prepare a list of health institutions under construction and the budget required to ensure timely construction alongwith the staff requirement in the health institutions. The Chief Minister has ensured that once the estimates are prepared, the government will release adequate funds for construction and equipping them with the modern machinery.

Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil added that 5 Phaco machines have been procured for Chamba medical college, Zonal Hospital Chamba and Civil Hospitals Rohru, Paonta Shahib and Una, and the installation process was underway in most of them.

He said that a mechanism would be developed to ensure that procurement of medicines and other important medical supplies becomes seamless and faster. He added that as per the present system such supplies are procured on quarterly basis which delays the process due to repetitive and frequent paper works and clearance process. "The change in procurement process from the current quarterly basis to half-yearly basis was under consideration," he remarked.

He added that the government has decided that quality items would be included in the baby care kits and a total number of 18 items would be provided to the new born babies born in government and private institutions in the state. The samples of these kits have reached the government and once the quality of these samples is tested by a specialist team, the orders would be placed.

Secretary Health M. Sudha Devi, Advisor (Infrastructure) to the Chief Minister Anil Kapil, Managing Director of the HPMSCL Divyanshu Singal, Director Health Safety and Regulations Jitender Sanjta and other senior officials were present at the meeting.

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BJP Govt distributed Rs 172 crore of Workers Board to favourites in election year

• Worker's dues of Rs 204 crore of last year of BJP rule still pending

A review meeting of Himachal Pradesh Building and Construction Workers Welfare Board was held today in which the issue regarding distribution of freebies worth about Rs 172 crore to favourites in the election year during the BJP regime was raised vigorously.

Board Chairman Nardev Singh Kanwar has sought reply from the Board's officer in the entire matter. The District Labour Welfare Officers have been directed to submit a report on what basis 72,260 workers were registered overnight in the year 2021-22. After receiving the report, an explanation would be sought from the Labour Officers who were working during that time and strict action would be taken if the reply was found satisfactory.

Shri Kanwar said that the liabilities of the workers of 2021-22 of Rs 204 crore are pending till now. The eligible workers were deprived of the benefits of the Board's schemes while freebies were distributed to the workers registered overnight. The Board has set up an eligibility inquiry of the workers who were benefited in the election year, in which the truth will come out.

He said there has been a lot of fraud in the registration of workers and distribution of funds in the previous BJP government's regime. This is also raising questions on the functioning of the then concerned Minister. Since, in the investigation so far, 38 cases of fake registration have been caught and FIRs have been registered against fake beneficiaries in Hamirpur, Bhoranj, Barsar and Sujanpur police stations. After the FIR was registered, 9 fake beneficiaries have returned the amount of Rs 6 lakh to the Board out of fear of punishment since, according to the Board's Act, there is a provision of 10 years of punishment for taking benefits in a fraudulent manner.

The Chairman said that 40,696 beneficiaries were benefited in the financial year 2021-22 and 32,015 beneficiaries were benefited in eight months in 2022-23. The BJP used the Board as a political weapon to win the election and benefited its favourites just before the code of conduct came into force.

He said that from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, Rs 92.33 crore were distributed to the workers out of which Rs 32 crore were given for marriage, Rs 44 crore for education, Rs 1.30 crore for medical, Rs 8.65 crore on death and Rs 5.24 crore on maternity. From 1 April 2022 to 31 October 2022, Rs 79.29 crore was distributed before the code of conduct came into force. An amount of Rs 52.21 crore for education, Rs 19 lakh for medical, Rs 4.33 crore on death, Rs 2.39 crore on maternity and Rs 13 lakh under Pradhan Mantri/Chief Minister Housing Scheme was distributed.

He said that after assuming power, the Congress government made Him Parivar Portal mandatory for registration in the Workers Welfare Board. Till now, during, 14913 new workers have been registered under the rules and an amount of Rs 66 crore has been provided to them as assistance.