SHIMLA, Jan 9: The Himachal Pradesh cabinet has approved the inclusion of families without adult members aged 18 to 59, led by women or those with a disability of 50% or more, into the Below Poverty Line (BPL) list.
Also included in the BPL list are families that qualified for at least 100 days of work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) in the previous fiscal year, as well as families whose earning members suffer from chronic illnesses like cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy, thalassemia, or any condition leading to permanent disability, according to an official statement.
During the meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the state cabinet sanctioned the creation of a special task force (STF) aimed at addressing drug abuse and dismantling drug trafficking and organized crime networks in the state through a thorough and holistic approach.
Additionally, the cabinet has opted to promulgate an ordinance amending Schedule 1A of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899. This change will facilitate a uniform stamp duty rate of 12% on transfer and lease transactions authorized under Section 118(2)(H) of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, with prior approval from the state government.
The cabinet has agreed to rename the Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) to Dr. Manmohan Singh Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration. The cabinet also commemorated the former prime minister with a two-minute silence in his honor, acknowledging his profound contributions to the development of both the nation and the state.
It was noted that several significant projects in the state, including Atal Tunnel, three medical colleges, ESIC Hospital at Ner Chowk, IIT Mandi, IIIT Una, Central University, and the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Kangra, were actualized due to Singh’s vision and support.
Among the key initiatives of Singh’s administration were the Right to Information Act, Right to Education Act, MNREGA, Food Security Act, introduction of Aadhaar, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), and a loan waiver for 72 lakh farmers, which were highlighted as remarkable achievements, the statement reported.
The cabinet reiterated its appeal to the Centre to implement the 90:10 funding formula for the power component of the Kishau Multipurpose Project, located at the border of Himachal and Uttarakhand, mirroring the formula utilized for the water component.
As an alternative, it suggested providing a 50-year interest-free loan for the total amount owed by the state government regarding the power component under the Inter-State Agreement.
Furthermore, the cabinet has determined to assign the responsibility for the allotment and oversight of hydro and solar power projects exceeding 5 MW, along with Green Hydrogen, Biomass, and Pumped Storage Projects, to the Department of Energy.
The cabinet approved the imposition of Green Energy Development Charges for Pumped Storage Projects. A fee of Rs 2.5 lakh per MW per year will be charged for the first ten years following the project’s commissioning, which will rise to Rs 5 lakh per MW per year thereafter.
The cabinet endorsed the establishment of the Himachal Pradesh State Water Informatics Centre, aimed at collecting data from specialized bodies, creating new databases, and disseminating extensive water-related information.
It also gave approval to the Baddi-Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority Land Pooling Policy-2025.
The cabinet consented to introduce the Himachal Pradesh Sadbhawana Legacy Cases Resolution Scheme 2025 to resolve pending cases, litigations, and arrears under the subsumed laws such as VAT, CST, and entry tax.
To safeguard the environment and reduce the impacts of human activities in green zones, the cabinet decided to include the area around Tara Devi Temple in Shimla district within the Green Area category.
It selected the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to conduct computer-based tests for the recruitment of Group-C positions through the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog in Hamirpur.
The cabinet approved the elevation of sub-tehsil Panchrukhi in Kangra district to tehsil status and the establishment of new sub-tehsils in Dhamwari (Shimla district), Saho (Chamba district), and Chachiyan (Kangra district), along with the creation and filling of necessary posts, the statement concluded. (PTI)
