SHIMLA-05.07.25

CM flags off 20 e-taxies under RGSSY

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu flagged off 20 e-taxis from Himachal Pradesh Secretariat on Saturday under the Rajiv Gandhi Swarozgaar Start-up Yojana (RGSSY). Under the scheme, the State Government provides 50 percent subsidy to youth for purchase of e-taxis and so far Rs. 4.22 crore have been disbursed to 59 eligible youth and subsidy to 61 more beneficiaries would be released shortly.

He said that this would not only provide gainful employment to youth, but also ensure assured income for a period of five years by attaching them with government offices and with a provision of two years extension. He said this would also go a long way in reducing the financial burden of the State

Sh. Sukhu said that the State Government was making its policies with environmental protection in mind. He said, "Today, we are witnessing the adverse effects of climate change. It is imperative for us to have policies that prioritize environmental conservation. The promotion of e-vehicles and green hydrogen is the need of the hour."

The Chief Minister said that the State Government was also providing employment opportunities in the government sector and it was also actively creating self employment opportunities to the youth of the State. Efforts were underway to facilitate overseas employment opportunities through State Electronics Development Corporation aiming to provide them better salary packages and ensuring zero-exploitation of the candidates working abroad. He said, "The hardest part was to obtain the license for HPSEDC as a Recruiting Agency and we have crossed the bridge. Now the Corporation will enter into MoUs with Consulate Generals of various countries and we will also train them to improve their skills."

Sh. Sukhu said that we have undertaken radical reforms in various government departments which were yielding tangible outcomes. The State had climbed 16^th position up from 21^st to 5^th rank nationwide in providing quality education to students which was a giant leap forward, a significant achievement for the present State Government. He said that the State Government was working meticulously to provide healthcare facilities at par with AIIMS, Delhi in various government medical colleges in the State. He said that we were hopeful that these initiatives would also benefit the people of the State.

Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, MLAs Sanjay Awasthy and Harish Janartha Principal Advisor (Media) to Chief Minister Naresh Chauhan, APMC Chairman Devanand Verma, OSD to Chief Minister Gopal Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary R.D. Nazeem, Secretary Priyanka Basu Ingty, Director Information and Public Relations Rajiv Kumar, Labour Commissioner Dr. Virender Sharma and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

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Himachal becomes first state to launch Aadhaar-based face authentication for ration distribution

In a significant technological advancement, the department of Digital Technologies and Governance (DDTG), Himachal Pradesh, has introduced Aadhaar-based face authentication (FaceAuth) for the distribution of ration to eligible beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS).

Principal Advisor (Innovation, Digital Technologies & Governance) to the Chief Minister, Gokul Butail informed that until now, authentication was being carried out using either OTP-based or biometric methods. However, frequent challenges such as SMS delivery failures and biometric mismatches at the UIDAI end had been causing inconvenience to the beneficiaries. With the launch of the FaceAuth mechanism, the process has now been streamlined and made more accessible. He said that unlike traditional methods, this new facility uses a mobile camera via an app installed on the fair price shop (FPS) owner’s smart phone, enabling direct facial authentication of beneficiaries.

Gokul Butail said Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to implement this innovative approach. The new system has significantly improved the authentication success rate and reduced the time taken for verification, thereby ensuring faster and smoother ration distribution.

He said that this pioneering initiative underscores the State’s commitment to leveraging digital technology for enhancing public service delivery and promoting inclusive access to essential services.

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Situation in disaster hit areas of Mandi district returning to normal: CM

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while interacting with media persons here today, said that the situation in disaster hit areas of Seraj assembly constituency of Mandi district caused by torrential rains was rapidly returning to normal and the state government would provide Rs. 5000 per month as rent to the families whose houses were damaged in this disaster. He urged the people of Seraj area whose houses are safe to give their additional accommodation to the affected families on rent. He said that he would soon visit the affected areas again to have on the spot assessment.

The Chief Minister said that the state government would provide food items to the affected families and directions had been issued to the concerned in this regard. He said that he was constantly in touch with the district administration to assess the ongoing situation in the affected areas. The food materials had been made available through mules and porters and also the army personnels are carrying out relief operations in the affected areas and some routes had also been opened.

He said that the Metrological department has issued a red alert for Sunday and the state government was on alert to tackle any situation. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri was in the affected areas since Friday while Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh will visit the affected areas on Saturday to monitor the ongoing rescue and rehabilitation operations.

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1317 food kits distributed among disaster affected families of Mandi district-Spokesperson

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh has directed the district administration Mandi to ensure relief and rescue operations on war footing in the disaster affected areas of the district and relief reaches to all those in need. The Chief Minister is personally monitoring the situation and has assured all necessary support from the State Government.

A spokesperson of State Government said here today that following the directives of the Chief Minister the Mandi administration had distributed 1317 food kits having 5 kg flour, 5 kg rice one liter edible oil, one kg salt, one kg sugar, two kg pulses, 100 gm Haldi, 100 gm Mirch powder and 100 gram tea each among the affected families in the disaster hit areas till 4th July, 2025. He said that 197 food kits were made available in Thunag, 69 in Janjehli, 1000 in Bagsaid, 40 in Dharampur and 11 in Chauntra area of Mandi district.

He said that 160 food kits had been sent for Janjehli area and 176 kits for Thunag area of Seraj assembly constituency of Mandi district today for further distribution among the disaster affected families. He said that 665 kits are still in stock and would be distributed as per requirement.