Himachal govt decides to reorganise panchayats, engage 1,000 ‘rogi mitras’ in health department

The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Monday decided to reorganise the panchayats and engage 1,000 ‘rogi mitras’ in the Health Department to ensure better patient care in the health institutions across the state.

Reorganisation of the panchayats is a process to restructure the boundaries, composition and functions of rural local self-government institutions to improve governance, ensure effective service delivery and adapt to changing demographics and administrative needs.

The decision to reorganise the panchayats came at a time when a standoff is going on between the State Election Commission (SEC) and the state government on holding the gram panchayat elections according to schedule.

The elections to over 3,500 gram panchayats in the state are slated for December 2025-January 2026. The last date for conducting the elections is January 23 and the SEC has set the process rolling by initiating the preparation of electoral rolls.

However, in a notification issued on October 9, Chief Secretary Chairman Sanjay Gupta had announced that the polls would be held “only after the restoration of proper connectivity”, considering the damage to roads and private and public property during the monsoon season.

The Cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu decided to enhance the compensation for loss of household articles for disaster-affected families from Rs 70,000 to Rs 1 lakh and also approved Rs 4.32 crore to the Indian Air Force (IAF) for providing helicopter services during disasters in the state.

It decided to provide assistance of Rs 7 lakh as a special package in case of complete damage to houses in fire incidents. It was also decided to provide 150 days of employment under MNREGA and approval was given for the construction of retaining walls up to Rs 2 lakh for individual works, a statement issued here said.

The Cabinet decided to extend social security pensions to all persons with 40 per cent and above disability by removing the existing eligibility condition that barred beneficiaries whose guardians were employees or pensioners of government or semi-government boards and corporations.

It decided to merge the Anti-Narcotics Task Force with the Special Task Force to create a unified Special Task Force under the Home Department, aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and establishing a single agency to comprehensively combat narcotics-related challenges. It also approved the panchayat-wise anti-chitta (adulterated heroin) campaign across the state.

The Cabinet approved the creation and filling up of 800 posts of constables in the Police Department, filling of 150 posts of junior engineer (civil) as job trainees in the Jal Shakti Vibhag and the Public Works Department.

The Cabinet decided to provide a 40 per cent subsidy for the conversion of 1,000 petrol and diesel taxis into electric taxis under the Rajiv Gandhi Swarojgar Start-Up Yojna-2023. It also gave nod to the purchase of 10 electric bikes for highway patrolling to further strengthen road safety measures.

Nod was given to open sub-fire centres at Kandaghat in Solan district and Rajgarh in Sirmaur district, along with the creation and filling of 46 posts of various categories and the purchase of four fire tenders for these centres and authorised the Forest Department to issue letters of intent for the grant of mineral concessions in the forest land.

It decided to expand the ‘Mukhya Mantri Laghu Dukandar Kalyan Yojna’ to benefit small vendors and retail shopkeepers in urban areas of the state with an annual turnover of less than Rs 10 lakh.

Under the expanded scheme, a one-time settlement assistance of up to Rs 1 lakh will be provided through banks to distressed small shopkeepers who have availed business loans and have been classified as non-performing assets. This financial support will be fully borne by the state government.

The Cabinet gave its approval for convening the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) for promotion to the post of principal at the government level. The new DPC will be chaired by the education secretary and will expedite the promotion of 805 principals.