SHIMLA, 11.01.26-

Government strengthens social security support for people in State

• 8.42 lakh beneficiaries availing social security benefits statewide
• Nearly one lakh new beneficiaries added in three years

11 January 2026-The State Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has placed inclusive growth, welfare and social justice at the core of its governance agenda. A strong and responsive social security system reflects the government’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable sections of society. Through a series of progressive reforms and people-oriented initiatives, the State Government is ensuring that economic support reaches beneficiaries in a timely, dignified, and transparent manner, strengthening the social safety net across the state.

One of the most significant reforms introduced by the State Government was the decision to remove the income ceiling and the requirement of Gram Sabha approval for widowed, deserted and single women, as well as for persons with 40-69 percent disability seeking social security pensions. This step has greatly simplified access to pensions and reduced procedural hurdles, especially for women and persons with disabilities who often face difficulties in navigating administrative systems.

As a result of these reforms, nearly 8.42 lakh beneficiaries across the state are currently receiving social security pensions. These include senior citizens, widows, single women and Divyaangjans under various categories. Of these, 1,04,740 beneficiaries were receiving the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension, 5,04,253 the Old Age Pension, 25,414 the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension, 1,26,808 the Widow, Destitute and Single Woman Pension, 1,340 the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension and 78,291 the Disability Relief Allowance. Over the last three years, 99,799 new pension cases have been approved which reflects the government’s sustained effort to widen the social safety net and ensure that no eligible person is excluded.

Enhancing the adequacy of benefits has been another key focus of the Sukhu-led government. From February 2024, the monthly pension for women up to the age of 69 years was increased to Rs. 1,500 which has strengthened their financial security and independence. The Chief Minister has also directed departments to ensure the speedy release of pending payments under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana, with special attention to remote and tribal regions such as Pangi, Lahaul-Spiti, Dodra Kwar and Kupvi, reaffirming the government’s commitment to regional equity.

Special emphasis has been laid on the welfare of Divyaangjan through a comprehensive and inclusive support framework. The State Government provides disability relief allowance without any income limit or conditions which is ensuring universal access. Social security pensions for persons with disabilities range from Rs. 1,150 to Rs. 1,700 per month. In the field of education, Divyaang students are provided monthly scholarships ranging from Rs. 625 to Rs. 5,000, without any income restriction. Under this initiative, 3,100 students have benefitted with an expenditure of Rs. 3.77 crore.

Recognising the social and emotional dimensions of welfare, the government also offers marriage incentive grants ranging from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000 for marriages involving Divyaang persons. So far, 212 beneficiaries have received financial assistance amounting to Rs. 74.49 lakh. In addition, Divyaangjans and elderly persons residing in special homes and old-age institutions are provided an Utsav Anudan of Rs. 500 per person on major festivals, ensuring that festive occasions are inclusive. Under this initiative, 2,128 Divyaang beneficiaries have received Rs. 75.43 lakh.

Apart from this to strengthen governance and service delivery, the Chief Minister has emphasized the use of modern information technology-based systems for beneficiary identification, approval and pension disbursement. This digital transformation is helping ensure transparency, accuracy and timely payment of benefits.

Overall, the reforms and welfare initiatives undertaken by the State Government reflect a clear shift towards a compassionate and inclusive model of governance. By removing eligibility barriers, enhancing financial support, and focusing on dignity and ease of access, the government under Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is reinforcing social security not merely as assistance, but as a right bringing the promise of welfare closer to every household in Himachal Pradesh.

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Chief Minister directs ensure comfort and safety of tourists

· Rules must be strictly followed to maintain quality and safety of food

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today here issued instructions to the Municipal Corporation Shimla to improve tourist facilities and cleanliness in the city. After visiting Mall Road in Shimla and other areas on Saturday evening, he said it must be ensured that vendors do not charge more than the fixed prices for food items and other goods.

He said that the rules and standards set by the Directorate of Health Safety and Regulation and the Food Safety and Standards Authority must be strictly enforced to maintain food quality, safety and hygiene. He said that to ensure the safety and proper disposal of the waste, the MC must act proactively and strictly as it strongly affects and represents the image of the state.

The Chief Minister said that tourists visiting Shimla should have an excellent experience, while the needs of local residents must also be given equal importance. He added that the state government is improving public services in urban areas and making them easier to access.

He said that the state government has recently launched the second phase of the Citizen Connect Programme under the theme “Clean City, Prosperous City”. Keeping in mind the growing population, increasing urbanization and changing needs of citizens, the government was setting a new, inclusive and sustainable direction for urban development.

The Chief Minister said that an important decision to benefit small shopkeepers under Mukhyamantri Mukhya Mantri Laghu Dukandar Kalyan Yojana. Under this scheme shopkeepers with outstanding loans of up to rupees one lakh, whose accounts have been declared non-performing assets by banks, would be given a one-time settlement facility of up to rupees one lakh. Similarly, shopkeepers with loans between rupees one lakh and rupees two lakh would receive one-time assistance of up to rupees one lakh.

He said that urban services have been brought into the digital age through the Citizen Service Portal. In the first phase, nine online services were introduced and more than 2.5 lakh citizens have been registered. In the second phase, nine additional services have been added, which would improve transparency and reduce the gap between the government and the public.

The Chief Minister said that under the Digital Door Plate system, every urban household was being given a unique digital identity. This initiative would bring greater transparency and accountability to urban governance.

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Bada and Faste Gram Panchayats of Nadaun Assembly constituency call on CM

· Encourages to adopt natural farming practices

A delegation from the Bada and Faste Gram Panchayats of the Nadaun Assembly constituency met the Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here today.

On the occasion the Chief Minister discussed various development works being carried out in the Nadaun Assembly constituency and also took feedback from the delegation. He said that the foundation stone for the Spice Park to be set up in Bada Panchayat would be laid soon.

The Chief Minister encouraged the delegation to adopt natural farming methods. He said that the Nadaun area has great potential for growing turmeric through natural farming.

Sh. Sukhu said that the state government has fixed the purchase price of wheat grown through natural farming at Rs. 60 per kilogram. On 15 April 2025, the Pangi sub-division was declared a completely natural farming sub-division. The government is also providing a support price of Rs. 90 per kilogram for raw turmeric and Rs. 60 per kilogram for barley grown in the Pangi valley.

He said that Himachal Pradesh is the first state in the country to fix a minimum support price for crops grown through natural farming.

The Chief Minister urged the delegation to spread awareness about the government’s public welfare schemes among the general public so that more people can get benefitted from them.

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HPSEBL records Rs. 300 crore Revenue from power sale in current Fiscal

The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited has earned a profit approximately of Rs. 300 crore up to 31.12.2025 as a result of the sale of the power as compared to Rs 206 crore profit earned till 31.12.2024 i.e in the previous financial year.

This was revealed by Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at his official residence here today.

He said that this was possible due to 'Vayavastha Parivartan' and smart policies undertaken by the present government. To modernize and equip the State's electric power system, the government introduced the 'Himachal Pradesh Electricity Grid Code' to align the state’s operations with National standards, enhancing grid security, transmission and reliability..

He said that the key infrastructure highlights include 1.5 lakh smart meters in Shimla and Dharamshala which were being installed to enable real-time consumption monitoring via mobile apps to facilitate the citizens to know about their daily consumption. Besides implementation of advanced Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, (SCADA) in industrial hubs like Kala Amb, which has reduced distribution losses by 4 percent.

He said that the field staff were the backbone of HPSEBL. Strengthening this workforce will greatly benefit consumers as besides ensuring uninterrupted power supply, they play a pivotal role in repairing damaged infrastructure and restoring electricity during disasters and emergencies. The Chief Minister said that the state has approved the engagement of over 2100 youth in the board. This includes 1602 'Bijli Upbhogta Mitras' and 500 'T-Mates' to address long-standing vacancies. These recruitments aim to improve ground-level operations, expedite the repair of damaged infrastructure and ensure swift restoration of power during natural disasters.

As tribal areas were more prone to heavy winters, the State government has taken up various initiatives to ensure reliable power for the residents of Tribal areas. To strengthen power supply in Killar valley, the Chief Minister stated that the state government was working on various projects worth Rs. 62 crore. He said Rs. 5 crore was being spent on laying an 11 KV line from Tindi to Shaur and Rs. 45.50 crore for laying a 33 KV line from Thirot to Killar.

Besides this, 148 households in remote Kaza have been provided with solar off grid plants of 1 kW each viz: 57 households in Mud, 34 in Langza, 35 in Hikkim and 22 households in Kaumik. The Chief Minister stated that the decentralized solar projects with battery energy storage system (BESS) to be installed at village Hillour and Dharwas of 400 KW each in Pangi tribal region of Chamba district.

He said that the State government was offering 5 percent interest subsidy for setting up solar energy projects ranging from 250 KW to 1 MW in tribal areas. Whereas, in non-tribal regions, projects between 250 KW and 1 MW will receive a 4 percent interest subsidy, while larger projects exceeding 1 MW will be eligible for a 3 percent interest subsidy.

To ensure quality power supply for consumers, necessary infrastructure will be developed in a phased manner. Starting with this initiative, six 33KVA/11KVA substations will be constructed in Kangra district in the upcoming financial year, located in Ganog in Nurpur, Karla Kotla in Dehra, Majheen in Jwalamukhi, Moki in Indora, Samloti in Nagrota Bagwan and Ther in Jwalamukhi.

He stated that series of digital administrative reforms with a vision of 'Vyavastha Parivartan' have already yielded significant results. By moving away from high-cost legacy contracts and adopting transparent, competitive bidding for IT services, the annual support costs for electricity billing and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) have been slashed by 46 percent

He further stated that this initiative demonstrates the Government’s commitment to ensuring better services for electricity consumers, while simultaneously creating gainful employment opportunities for local youth.