HPSEBL to be strengthened: Chief Minister

SHIMLA, 07.04.25-Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while presiding over a review meeting of the Energy Department here today, reiterated the state government’s commitment to strengthening the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) and assured all possible support to ensure improved services for the people of the state.

The Chief Minister said that large-scale recruitment of field staff would be done to ensure seamless ground-level operations. He appreciated the vital role played by the HPSEBL officers and employees in maintaining consistent electricity supply across the state.

Sh. Sukhu stated that several HPSEBL officers were currently serving on deputation in the Directorate of Energy, Himachal Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Limited and Power Corporation. He directed that these officers be given the option to be permanently absorbed in their respective organization by April 30. The remaining vacant posts would be filled by the state government on priority to ensure efficient functioning of the organization.

He further said that the 100 MW Uhl Phase-III hydro power project would soon be formally inaugurated. The project, which had suffered damages due to a penstock burst on 17^th May, 2020 was expedited by the present state government with a provision of financial assistance of Rs. 185 crore. As a result, 2.97 crore units of electricity have already been generated since its commissioning. Initiated in 2003, the project has been completed after a span of 22 years, owing to the focused efforts of the present state government. Once fully operational, Uhl Phase-III is expected to generate 392 million units of electricity annually, contributing approximately Rs. 200 crore in revenue to the state each year.

Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, Chief Minister's Principal Advisor Ram Subhag Singh, Chief Minister's Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, Director Energy Rakesh Kumar Prajapati, Managing Director HPSEBL Sandeep Kumar, along with other senior officials of the department also attended the meeting.

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CM launches registration form for procurement of Turmeric

SHIMLA, 07.04.25-Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today launched the registration form for the farmers to sell raw turmeric grown through natural farming practices at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs. 90 per kilogram. This initiative, announced in the 2025–26 Budget, aims to strengthen the rural economy by providing a guaranteed price for turmeric and encouraging Natural Farming across Himachal Pradesh. The registration will be carried out by the Department of Agriculture, which will also provide training to farmers on Natural Farming techniques.

The raw turmeric procured from registered farmers will be processed at the upcoming Spice Park in Hamirpur. The processed turmeric will be branded and marketed as “Himachal Haldi,” offering both quality assurance and a unique identity in the market. “For the first time, government agencies will directly procure raw turmeric from farmers, which will be a game-changer for their livelihoods and ensure immediate cash flow, in the rural sector” said the Chief Minister.

He said that the state government is also procuring naturally grown wheat at Rs. 60 per kg and maize at Rs. 40 per kg. Additionally, over the last two years, the state has increased the milk procurement price by Rs. 21 per litre. Cow milk is now procured at Rs. 51 per litre, and buffalo milk at Rs. 61 per litre.

Currently, turmeric is cultivated across approximately 2,042.5 hectares in the state, yielding around 24,995 metric tonnes annually. The major turmeric-producing districts include Hamirpur, Kangra, Bilaspur, Sirmaur, Mandi, and Solan. Turmeric has emerged as a promising livelihood option due to its high medicinal value, especially post-COVID-19, and growing demand in both domestic and International markets. Given its natural resistance to wild and stray animals, especially monkeys, and its lower labor requirements and longer post-harvest shelf life, turmeric cultivation aligns well with the challenges faced by Himachali farmers.

Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpur, Vice Chairman of H.P. Forest Development Corporation Kehar Singh Khachi, and Secretary (Agriculture) C. Paulrasu were also present on the occasion.

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Directions issued to all departments to fill posts reserved for PwDs

SHIMLA, 07.04.25-Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment Department Ashish Singhmar said that the department was committed to safeguard the rights and interests of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and was ensuring their overall welfare through timely and effective measures. All the departments across the state have been directed to take prompt action for filling the posts reserved for persons with disabilities.

He was presiding over a meeting of the all the organizations of disabled category.

The Secretary assured the organization that a high-level meeting would soon be organized with the Chief Secretary to address their concerns and demands.

Director, ESOMSA Kiran Bhadana elaborated on the various initiatives undertaken by the department to enhance the welfare of PwDs in the State.

President of the National Association for the Blind, Himachal Pradesh Deva Chand Negi, and President of the Himachal Pradesh Divyang Kalyan Sabha, Haridas Prajapati lauded the initiatives of the department to bring all major organizations representing different disability categories on a single platform for an inclusive dialogue.

They said that the key demands includes formulation of a special transfer policy for disabled employees, strict adherence to the promotion policy, increasing the retirement age of such employees to 60 years, making independent disability commissioner, giving the benefit of Mukhyamantri Awas Yajana to all the disabled unconditionally and increasing the social security pension of PwDs.

The organizations also appreciated the efforts of the department in initiating the recruitment process for 235 posts in the previous financial year. Apart from this they requested that in future, no individual organization be consulted in isolation, but all stakeholders be invited together to ensure equitable redressal of grievances based on specific disability needs.

Senior officers of the departments and representatives from various PwDs organizations also participated in the meeting.