Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, January 19
The Himachal Pradesh cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has approved a wide-ranging set of decisions, including the establishment of a state-of-the-art cancer care centre and new welfare, energy and tourism initiatives.
At its meeting on Monday, the Cabinet decided to set up a Cancer Care Centre at Dr Radhakrishnan Government Medical College in Hamirpur. It also approved the creation of 11 new departments, along with the recruitment of staff across multiple categories.
To ensure timely payments, the cabinet cleared amendments to the Social Security (Pension and Allowance) Rules, 2010, aimed at time-bound disbursal of pensions and allowances to beneficiaries.
In a move to tap renewable resources, the state agreed to adopt the National Policy on Geothermal Energy. The Directorate of Energy will act as the nodal agency, while amendments to the Swaran Jayanti Energy Policy, 2021, will incorporate geothermal guidelines.
The Cabinet also approved the promulgation of an ordinance to levy an ‘Orphan and Widow Cess’ on petrol and diesel at the point of first sale. The government said the cess would not burden consumers and would help strengthen welfare schemes for orphans and widows.
Four hydropower projects of up to 25 MW capacity were allotted to successful bidders following the tender process. These include the Khauli-II, Malana-III, Manalsu and Dhancho projects.
Boosting tourism, the cabinet approved the construction of a 4.3-kilometre zipline near Dharamsala at an estimated cost of ₹7.41 crore. Once completed, it is expected to be Asia’s longest zipline and a major tourist attraction.
Several policy decisions were also taken. These include changes to the Senior Resident Doctor Policy, expansion of age limits for Assistant Staff Nurse posts, recruitment in the revenue and disaster management departments, and re-engagement of retired revenue officers to clear pending cases.
The Cabinet further approved the expansion of AIIMS Bilaspur with eight additional blocks, extended the Himachal Pradesh Industrial Investment Policy until March 2026, cleared new food testing laboratories, allowed Alliance Air to operate daily flights on key routes, and sanctioned a new ice skating rink in Shimla.
