Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, February 12
The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has approved the filling of 1,066 vacant posts across various government departments, asserting that development activities will continue despite the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG). Speaking after the meeting at the state secretariat, Industries Minister Harsh Vardhan Chauhan said the government would not allow the RDG cut to impact the state’s progress. He added that the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and ongoing recruitment drives would continue as planned.
The cabinet also decided to generate additional resources to stabilise the state’s finances. According to Chauhan, the government has raised ₹3,500 crore in revenue over the past three years.
Among the key decisions, the cabinet approved the recruitment of 30 radiographers, 150 job trainees in the health department, and 190 junior engineers. It also cleared 10 posts for food safety officers and 600 teaching posts across 100 CBSE-affiliated schools.
A proposal under the ₹1,617 crore JICA-funded project to replace outdated medical equipment in health institutions with modern machinery was also approved.
Female home guards will now be entitled to 26 weeks of maternity leave. The cabinet further cleared a new excise policy, under which liquor vends will be auctioned through an e-auction system, and approved policies concerning street vendors and road drainage in the Public Works Department.
The cabinet also approved the Governor’s address.
The RDG, which had provided financial support to the hill state, was recently discontinued, prompting concerns about the state’s fiscal position. However, the government says it is committed to maintaining welfare schemes and development programmes.
