SHIMLA-6 June, 2026

State Government working with honesty and transparency: CM

• CM inaugurates Kamiyana Hill Top Nature Trail
• Despite winning only 98 of 251 Zila Parishad Seats, BJP spreading misinformation: CM

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today inaugurated the first phase of Kamiyana Hill Top Nature Trail in Village Poabo near Shimla, an ambitious eco-tourism and nature interpretation project developed at a cost of Rs. five crore by the Forest Department. The project spans nearly 8 hectares and includes a 2.5-kilometre nature trail designed to promote environmental awareness, nature appreciation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism.

The trail has been planned with a gradual gradient to ensure comfortable access for visitors of all age groups, including senior citizens and children. The hilltop location offers magnificent panoramic views of the surrounding Himalayan landscape, including Shali Peak, Mahasu Peak, the Naldehra Horse Trail, Mashobra, Craignano- Nature Park and the Shimla Water Catchment Area. A major attraction of the project is the Vaman Vriksha Mandal, a specially curated bonsai garden featuring approximately forty specimens representing fifteen species.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister announced an allocation of Rs. 5.20 crore for the construction of 16 roads sanctioned under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in the Kasumpti Assembly Constituency. He said that the State Government is working with honesty, transparency, and a spirit of public service. The government has undertaken several initiatives to strengthen the rural economy, he added.

He said that the State Government has significantly enhanced the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for naturally grown wheat, maize, barley, turmeric, and ginger, benefiting thousands of farmers across the State. The MSP for wheat has been increased from Rs. 60 to Rs. 80 per kg, maize from Rs. 40 to Rs. 50 per kg, and barley of Pangi Valley, Chamba district from Rs. 60 to Rs. 80 per kg. The MSP for raw turmeric has been raised substantially from Rs. 90 to Rs. 150 per kg, while naturally grown ginger will now be procured by the State Government at Rs. 30 per kg. Over the last three years, the support price of cow milk has increased from Rs. 32 to Rs. 61 per litre, while buffalo milk prices have enhanced from Rs. 47 to Rs. 71 per litre, he said.

The Chief Minister said that despite winning only 98 out of the State’s 251 Zila Parishad seats, the BJP continues to spread misinformation just to mislead the public. He added that in the recently concluded Panchayati Raj elections, the Congress secured victory in 29 of the 53 urban local bodies, while the BJP won only 21. A large number of Pradhans and Up-Pradhans aligned with the Congress ideology were also elected in panchayats across the State. He alleged that the BJP attempted to create an atmosphere of uncertainty through the misuse of money power, but with the blessings of the people and the deities of the State, the strength of Congress legislators has once again reached 40 during the by-elections. He also highlighted that the Congress had registered a historic victory in the Shimla Municipal Corporation elections.

Speaking on the occasion, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh said that, with the support of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, no stone is being left unturned in ensuring the development of the Kasumpti Assembly Constituency. He stated that 120 roads have been sanctioned under the FRA in the surrounding panchayats, while 124 roads have already been metalled and upgraded. He added that tourism is witnessing steady growth in the State and that the development of the Kamyana Trail will benefit local residents by creating employment and self-employment opportunities.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr. Sanjay Sood and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

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H.P. Cabinet Decisions

The State Cabinet, in its meeting held here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, approved the reconsideration of claims for compassionate appointments that were earlier rejected by various departments for various reasons. As a one-time measure, the most genuine rejected cases will be re-examined for consideration along with various needed relaxations.

The Cabinet approved the Policy for Regularisation of Certain Encroachments on Government Land, 2026, aimed at addressing the humanitarian concerns of landless families and marginal farmers who are in possession of government land for residential, agricultural and horticultural purposes. The policy has been framed in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court of India. The policy has been sent to the Government of India for approval.

It decided to introduce the Agriculture Loan Interest Subvention Scheme to those farmers whose land is up for auction. The State Government will bear 50 percent of the interest liability on eligible agricultural loans upto Rs. 3 lakh benefiting 6356 farmers across the State.

The Cabinet gave its approval to create and fill up 400 posts of Work Inspector under Directorate of Recruitment.

It also approved filling up of 300 posts of Medical Officers and 250 posts of class-IV/Multi Task Workers in the department of Health and Family Welfare.

It also put its seal to recruit 200 staff nurses in the department of Health and Family Welfare.

It also decided to fill up 162 posts in Health and Family Welfare Department which include 76 Operation Theatre Assistant, 36 Radiographer, 50 Lab. Technicians Grade-II.

It decided to create and fill up 75 posts of Assistant Professors of various departments in different medical colleges across the State.

It gave its consent to fill up two posts of Assistant Professor and two posts of Senior Resident in the department of Cardiology at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Nerchowk, district Mandi.

It decided to grant one time relaxation to six designated Professors of Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur who were almost six to 20 days short for becoming eligible for designation

It approved the creation and filling up of 12 posts of various categories at Civil Hospital Dehra and three posts of different categories in the office of the Block Medical Officer, Dehra, in Kangra district.

It decided to fill up 17 posts of Assistant Professors in various departments in Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla.

It also decided to grant full salary to employees proceeding on study leave. Employees who had previously availed study leave will likewise be paid the balance amount of salary due to them.

It further approved the conversion of part-time workers who have completed seven years of continuous service as on March 31, 2026, into daily wagers.

It also approved the grant of 15 days of paternity leave to Job Trainees.

It also approved the creation and filling up of three posts of different categories at the College of Horticulture and Forestry, Neri, in Hamirpur district.

The Cabinet gave its nod to create two posts of Junior Office Assistant (IT) in the office of the Divisional Commissioner, Mandi.

It further decided to fill up one post of Junior Office Assistant (IT) and one post of Multi-Task Worker reserved for persons with disabilities in the Home Guards and Civil Defence Department.

The Cabinet also approved the creation of a new Public Works Department Sub-Division at Chadhiar in Kangra district through the reorganisation of the existing Baijnath and Bir Sub-Divisions.

It also decided to fill up three posts of Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services.

The Cabinet approved the withdrawal of advertisements for 80 post codes issued by the erstwhile Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission, Hamirpur, and decided to refund the examination fee amounting to Rs. 4.27 crore to the concerned candidates.

It approved the launch of Phase-IV of the Rajiv Gandhi Swarojgar Start-Up Yojana. Under the scheme, eligible beneficiaries will be provided a 50 per cent subsidy for the purchase of e-buses and a 30 per cent subsidy for diesel buses to operate on identified bus routes, with the objective of promoting self-employment and strengthening public transport services.

The Cabinet approved amendments to the Himachal Pradesh NDPS Rules, 1989, to regulate the cultivation, processing, manufacturing, warehousing and transportation of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes.

It approved a special relief package for 15 fire-affected families in the Jubbal, Kotkhai and Rohru areas of Shimla district. Under the package, financial assistance of Rs. 7 lakh per family will be provided to those whose houses were fully destroyed in fire incidents. A total assistance of Rs. 84.70 lakh will be disbursed to the affected families.

It was further decided to constitute a Cabinet Sub Committee to be presided by Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri to look into centralizing and streamlining the recruitment process of Multi Task Workers to be appointed in various departments.

The Cabinet approved a reduction in the compounding fee for tractors transporting minerals for domestic use, bringing it down from Rs. 4,500 to Rs. 500. The decision will provide major relief to tractor operators by protecting them from undue harassment and eliminating the burden of excessive penalties.

It approved Grazing Policy 2026 under which forest department and animal husbandry department will join hands to develop a portal to facilitate the graziers and grant real time permits to strengthen the rural economy.

The Cabinet decided to enhance the health insurance coverage under the HIMCARE Scheme by shifting it to the insurance mode. Under the revised arrangement, eligible beneficiaries will receive health insurance cover of Rs. 7 lakh and Rs. 10 lakh, as against the existing coverage of Rs. 5 lakh.

It also approved the State Innovation Policy for Technical Education Institutions with the objective of establishing Himachal Pradesh as an emerging hub of innovation, entrepreneurship and start-ups. To operationalise the policy, a provision of Rs. 2 crore has been earmarked for the period from 2026 to 2028.

It also approved the grant of a 40-year lease in favour of the Himachal Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Limited for the construction of a 132/33 KV Sub-Station at Patola and a 220 KV Switching Sub-Station at Kangen in Kangra district.

It decided to upgrade Civil Hospital Sarkaghat in Mandi district from 100 beds to 150 beds along with creation and filling up of requisite posts.

It also decided to upgrade Primary Health Centre Kalol in Bilaspur district as Community Health Centre along with creation and filling up of requisite posts.

It accorded its approval for upgradation of Civil Hospital Baddi into 200 bedded Hospital and opening of Primary Health Centre Manpura in Solan district alongwith creation and filling up of requisite posts.

The Cabinet approved the opening of a Primary Health Sub-Centre at Manjheli in Hamirpur district, along with the creation and filling up of the requisite posts.

It approved the upgradation of the State-level Shoolini Mela in Solan district to National-level status. It also decided to accord State-level status to Maa Shiv Shakti Jatar Mela, Chhatrari in Chamba district, and Shivratri Mela, Kathgarh in Indora of Kangra district.

Further, the Cabinet approved the upgradation of Mela Nerati Rait in Kangra district, Baridhar Mela Saryanj in Arki tehsil of Solan district, Chhinj Mela Garnota in Chamba district and Nahvidhar Mela in Karsog tehsil of Mandi district to District-level fairs.

The Cabinet also approved the upgradation of Thakur Ramlal Girls Sports Hostel, Jubbal in Shimla district into Thakur Ramlal Government Girls School of Sports, Jubbal, along with the creation and filling up of 23 posts of various categories.

It further approved the revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Mukhya Mantri Sahara Yojana to ensure its smooth transition and effective implementation.

A presentation on CBSE schools was also made before the Cabinet by the Secretary (Education).

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CM condoles demise of wife of Veteran Journalist

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has expressed grief over the demise of Sushila Trikha, wife of veteran journalist Dr. Chander Trikha, Founder Editor of Yugmarg.

The Chief Minister said that Sushila Trikha was a compassionate individual who touched many lives through her warmth and kindness. He conveyed his condolences to Dr. Chander Trikha and the bereaved family.

He prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the family members to bear this irreparable loss.

Accused arrested for promoting communal disharmony through Social Media

A Spokesperson of Himachal Pradesh Police today here informed that Shimla Police have taken prompt and lawful action against objectionable social media content affecting communal harmony and public order. Yudhveer Singh Bains was arrested on 5^th June 2026 in connection with the case.

He informed that the matter came to light following a complaint received at Boileauganj Police Station, alleging that Sh. Bains had circulated a video on his Facebook account containing material capable of promoting hostility between different religious communities. The complaint further stated that the video included remarks directed at a particular community and the use of offensive language, raising concerns that its wider circulation could adversely affect law and order and communal harmony.

He informed that during the preliminary enquiry and digital analysis conducted by the police, it was found that the accused had allegedly been regularly sharing similar content on social media platforms. Examination of the available videos and other digital evidence indicated, prima facie, that the material had the potential to create tension and animosity between different communities.

Spokesperson informed that based on the available facts and evidence, FIR No. 108/2026 was registered at Police Station West, District Shimla, under Sections 196, 299 and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and a detailed investigation was initiated.

He informed that during the course of the investigation, the accused was duly served with notice and directed to join the enquiry. However, he failed to provide the required cooperation. It was also found that he had allegedly attempted to obstruct the investigation process, following which Section 221 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was added to the case.

On the basis of the evidence collected during the investigation and the facts available on record, Sh. Yudhveer Singh Bains was arrested in accordance with the law on 5^th June 2026. Further investigation is continuing.

He informed that the accused has also been named in previous criminal cases. These include FIR No. 02/2025 registered at Una Police Station under Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. In addition, FIR No. 48/2026 has been registered at Police Station East Shimla under Sections 248, 351 and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.