SHIMLA -29 August, 2026

CM announces SDM office at Dadasiba, 24-hour CHC at Kasba Kotla

• Releases Rs. 35 lakh assistance to 1,012 fisher families
• BJP benefitted favourite industrialists by selling land for a pittance in Baddi area under customized package: CM

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today announced the opening of a new Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office at Dadasiba in Jaswan-Pragpur Assembly constituency of Kangra district. He said that the notification for the new office would be issued shortly. To strengthen healthcare services in the area, he also announced that necessary provisions would be made to ensure round-the-clock functioning of the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Kasba Kotla.

The Chief Minister made these announcements while addressing a large public gathering at Dadasiba after releasing financial assistance under the Mukhyamantri Matsya Samman Nidhi Yojana to 1,012 fisher families. An amount of Rs. 3,500 per family was transferred directly into their bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism.

He said the state government was providing annual financial assistance of Rs. 3,500 each to fisher families during the annual fishing ban period. He said the scheme had been launched after understanding the difficulties faced by the fishing community. “Earlier, no government thought about the welfare of fisher families. This is what real change in governance means- ensuring that every section of society gets an equal right over the resources of the state”, he said.

The Chief Minister said the scheme would enable fisher families to live with dignity and self-respect. He added that the state government had also provided minimum support price (MSP) for fish. He said Himachal Pradesh could have become self-reliant by 2027 had the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) not been discontinued. He said the state government was nevertheless making concerted efforts to move Himachal Pradesh rapidly towards self-reliance. He said Himachal Pradesh had been receiving RDG since 1952, but its discontinuation by the Centre had caused an annual financial loss of approximately Rs. 8,000 crore to Rs. 10,000 crore to the State.

Sh. Sukhu said that the state government would launch the Mukhyamantri Ka Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana from Solan district on 2 October this year. He said around 90,000 families that had never benefited from any government welfare scheme had been identified for inclusion under the initiative. The government would take care of around two lakh families under the scheme, and women belonging to these families would also be provided a monthly pension of Rs. 1,500 each along- with 300 units of free electricity.

Recalling the devastating disaster of 2023, the Chief Minister said around 23,000 houses were completely damaged and more than 900 people lost their lives. The state government enhanced the financial assistance to disaster-affected families for construction of new house from Rs. 1.50 lakh to Rs. 7 lakh, while the assistance had now been further increased to Rs. 8 lakh. He said the Congress government had a clear intent and was working with honesty and commitment. The government was closing the “backdoors of corruption” and formulating welfare-oriented policies for the benefit of the people, he added.

The Chief Minister alleged that public money was misused during the previous BJP government. Around 5,000 bighas of land in the Baddi area of Solan district was allotted to industrialists close to the BJP under a customised package without registration. He said the state government was considering cancellation of the land allotment and that if no work had been undertaken on the allotted land, the allotment would be cancelled.

Referring to the Himcare scheme implemented during the previous BJP government, the Chief Minister alleged that bills had been prepared for ovary operations on men, which, he said, pointed towards a major scam. He also alleged that benami transactions took place during the expansion of Kangra airport and the state government had ordered an inquiry into the matter. If irregularities would be established, the land would be confiscated and distributed among the poor. He appealed to the people of the State to extend their cooperation in the government’s fight against corruption.

Sh. Sukhu said that the present state government had undertaken various reforms in the education sector to provide quality education to the students nearer to their homes. The state government had opened over 156 CBSE schools in the State besides filling up 6000 new posts of teachers in the schools. He said that there was only 35 percent staff in the Medical Colleges of the State during the BJP regime. The present government has set a target of posting 90 percent medical, para-medical and other supporting staff in all the government medical colleges across the State by 31 December, 2026 so that people could be provided specialized health care facilities within the State.

Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the newly constructed building of the primary health centre, Bari in the Jaswan-Pragpur area constructed at a cost of Rs. 95 lakh. He also laid the foundation stones for several development projects, including the science block of government senior secondary school, Dadasiba to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.80 crore. Foundation stones were also laid for various road works in the Jaswan-Pragpur area amounting to Rs. 4.85 crore and for a health sub-centre building at Aloh, to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 37 lakh.

Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board Bhawani Singh Pathania said Himachal Pradesh had a comparatively better per capita income than many parts of the country. However, keeping in view the comparatively lower per capita income in the lower areas of the state, the state government had for the first time provided MSP to farmers practising natural farming. He said Chief Minister was ensuring balanced development across the state, with priority being accorded to health, education and the rural economy.

MLA Sanjay Rattan said the state government was setting new benchmarks in development and for the first time, a government had given due attention to the welfare of fish farmers. He said balanced development was taking place across Himachal Pradesh and that for the first time a Congress Chief Minister from the lower areas of the state was leading the government who was working with determination and commitment for the welfare of the people.

Congress leader Surender Mankotia said that no previous government had given adequate attention to fish farmers, who largely belonged to economically weaker sections. He said several initiatives taken by the Chief Minister were the first of their kind. The Chief Minister had also enacted legislation for the welfare of orphaned children and introduced MSP to promote natural farming. He added that the state government had announced a historic MSP of Rs. 150 per kg for turmeric.

MLA Kamlesh Thakur, former MLA Yog Raj, Advocate General Anup Rattan, Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of various Boards and Corporations, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa, SP Sandeep Dhawal and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.