Shimla, May 22
The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, approved a series of major welfare and administrative decisions during its meeting on Friday, including recruitment for over 2,500 posts, financial assistance for women from low-income families, and permission for shops to remain open round the clock across the state. Although the state government did not officially brief the media due to the Model Code of Conduct imposed for panchayat elections, details of the Cabinet decisions emerged through official sources.
Among the key announcements was the approval of a monthly pension of ₹1,500 for women belonging to families with an annual income below ₹2 lakh, fulfilling one of the Congress government’s major poll promises. The Cabinet also approved filling 1,500 posts in the education department and 500 JOA-IT posts. Additional recruitment approvals include 94 craft instructor posts in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), 105 senior resident doctor posts, 12 clerk posts in the police department, and four APRO posts.
In a significant move to boost business activity, the government approved 24-hour operations for shops across Himachal Pradesh. The retirement age for college professors has also been increased from 62 to 63. The Cabinet further cleared a reduction in the royalty deduction from 7% to 1% and approved a ₹500 hike in the honorariums of mid-day meal workers, SMC teachers, and multi-task workers. Panchayat chowkidars will also receive a ₹500 salary increase, while the honorarium of sewing teachers has been increased by ₹1,000.
The state government also approved the allotment of 8,000 bighas of land for the proposed “Him Chandigarh” township project, envisioned on the lines of Chandigarh.
In the education sector, the Cabinet approved providing CBSE-standard facilities in 300 schools under the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education. Pragpur was also granted an SDM office.
Despite the absence of an official briefing, the decisions are being viewed as a major push towards welfare expansion, employment generation, and administrative reforms in the hill state.
