Shimla, June 6
The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, on Saturday approved a series of decisions covering employment, healthcare, agriculture, social welfare and infrastructure.
Among the key decisions was a one-time review of previously rejected compassionate appointment cases. The government said genuine cases would be reconsidered with necessary relaxations.
The Cabinet also approved a policy to regularise certain encroachments on government land by landless families and marginal farmers for residential, agricultural and horticultural purposes. The proposal, framed in line with Supreme Court directions, has been sent to the Centre for approval.
In a relief measure for farmers facing financial distress, the state will bear 50% of the interest burden on eligible agricultural loans of up to ₹3 lakh under a new Agriculture Loan Interest Subvention Scheme. More than 6,300 farmers are expected to benefit.
The government also cleared large-scale recruitment in the health sector, including 300 Medical Officers, 200 staff nurses, 250 Multi-Task Workers and several technical posts. Additional teaching positions in medical colleges and Himachal Pradesh University were also approved. In another significant decision, employees on study leave will get full salary, while part-time workers completing seven years of service by March 2026 will be converted into daily wagers. The Cabinet also approved 15 days of paternity leave for job trainees.
The meeting approved the launch of the fourth phase of the Rajiv Gandhi Swarojgar Start-Up Yojana, offering subsidies for the purchase of buses to promote self-employment and strengthen public transport.
In another significant move, the Cabinet approved amendments to state NDPS rules to regulate the cultivation, processing and transportation of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes.
Healthcare infrastructure received a boost with approvals to upgrade hospitals in Sarkaghat and Baddi, establish new health facilities and expand existing institutions across the state.
The Cabinet also enhanced health insurance coverage under the HIMCARE scheme to ₹7 lakh and ₹10 lakh, increased assistance for fire-affected families in Shimla district, approved a new grazing policy and cleared the State Innovation Policy for technical education institutions.
Several fairs were upgraded to state, district and national-level status, while a Cabinet sub-committee was constituted to streamline the recruitment process for Multi-Task Workers across government departments.
