At 1st-ever Himachal Day event in Pangi, chief minister Sukhvinder Sukhu rolls out development schemes; Rs 5cr for natural farming, focus on roads, tourism

Kullu: In a first, the state-level 78th Himachal Day celebrations were held on Tuesday in the remote Killar region of Pangi valley in Chamba district of the state, with chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu making a number of announcements for the development of the tribal belt of the state.
Addressing a large number of people at the helipad ground, Sukhu announced that the Udaipur-Killar road improvement is a top priority for the state govt. The matter was strongly taken up with the Centre, resulting in the tender process nearing completion. He directed the administrations of Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba districts to complete all formalities and expedite the road construction work. State rural development and panchayati raj minister Anirudh Singh presided over the event to mark the day at the Ridge in Shimla.
1st natural farming sub-division
He announced making Pangi sub-division Himachal's first natural farming sub-division and granted Rs 5 crore revolving fund for the purpose. He also announced Rs 60 per kg minimum support price for naturally grown barley and set up a milk processing plant with a 10,000 capacity in the Pangi area. To strengthen the power supply in the valley, he stated that the state govt is working on various projects worth Rs 62 crore. He said Rs 5 crore is being spent on laying an 11 KV line from Tindi to Shaur and announced Rs 45.50 crore for laying a 33 KV line from Thirot to Killar.
20 new bus permits
Taking into account the unique challenges of the region, he assured sufficient funds for the construction of mahila mandal bhawans and declared that Sach will be given the status of sub-tehsil. To improve transportation services, he announced 20 new bus permits for the valley, along with a 40 percent subsidy on bus purchases and a four-month exemption from road tax. The CM also announced the opening of a Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School in Pangi valley and the conversion of the civil hospital in Killar into Adarsh Swasthya Sansthan.
50% waiver on regn fees for homestays
To boost tourism, the CM declared a 50% waiver on registration fees for homestays and announced Rs 1.5 crore for the improvement of link roads in the valley. The CM said that former PM Indira Gandhi shared a deep connection with the Pangi valley and was the first PM of the country to visit Pangi in 1984, after which the development of the region gained momentum. He said, "This is a testament to the Congress govt's commitment to the development of tribal areas."
He stated that the state govt made efforts to revive the economy by introducing changes in policies and laws, resulting in significant improvements in Himachal Pradesh's financial condition. The govt fulfilled six out of its 10 guarantees and took several steps to strengthen the rural economy. The state govt is offering minimum support price for milk, as well as for wheat, maize, and turmeric cultivated through natural farming. A total of 1.58 lakh farmers practicing natural farming were certified in the state.
Sukhu said that under the Agriculture Interest Subvention Scheme, a one-time settlement policy will be introduced this year through banks to benefit farmers whose land is on the verge of auction. Under this policy, farmers will be able to repay agricultural loans of up to Rs 3 lakh, with the state govt paying 50 percent of the interest. Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, MLAs Sunder Thakur and Neeraj Nayyar, HP State Cooperative Bank Chairman Devender Shyam, Congress leaders Yashwant Khanna, Surjit Bharmauri, along with representatives of various panchayats, chief secretary Prabodh Saxena, additional chief secretary Onkar Sharma, DGP Atul Verma, Chamba deputy commissioner Mukesh Repaswal, SP Abhishek Yadav, and other senior officers were also present on this occasion.
The CM unfurled the national flag and received the ceremonial salute. A parade was held, featuring six contingents led by IPS officer Ravi Nandan.
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Sukhu releases 3-month installments of Rs 4,500
Kullu: During the 78th Himachal Day celebrations held at Killar in Pangi Valley, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday released an instalment of Rs 4,500 each to 1,926 women under the ‘Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana'. The instalment covered the months of April, May, and June. A total amount of Rs 86.67 lakh was disbursed in three instalments.
The CM announced that all remaining eligible women in the valley would be provided benefits under the scheme upon completion of the necessary formalities. He said that the yojana will also cover women who attain the age of 21 years between Jan 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, as well as those working as domestic helpers.
Sukhu also honoured govt employees for rendering outstanding services in the region. The awardees included JBT teacher Devi Charan from govt public school, Phindpar; JBT teacher Surinder Kumar from govt public school, Kulal; surgeon Dr Vishal Sharma from civil hospital Killar; Bhagwan Das Chauhan, principal of govt senior secondary school, Killar; Shanta Kumar, tehsildar of Pangi; Dr Promila Devi, assistant professor of geography from Government College, Pangi; and Joginder Singh, SHO, Pangi police station.
In addition, the CM also felicitated the best-performing police stations in the state for 2024. Bilaspur Sadar police station, BSL Colony police station in Mandi district, and Damtal police station in Kangra district were honoured for excellence in crime control, investigation, and overall performance. The women police station in Una was honoured as the best women's police station in the state.
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Sukhu visits children's home
Shimla: Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday visited Balika ashram at Kilar in Pangi Valley and interacted with the children living there. He inspected the classrooms and living rooms of the ashram and gave necessary instructions to the officials. Sukhu said that the state govt has adopted all the orphan children as "Children of the State" and the responsibility for their education and care lies with the state govt. He obtained information from the girls living in Balika Ashram about the facilities being provided to them. The CM also announced providing Rs 5,000 each to all the girls of the ashram, as well as sending them on an exposure visit soon. Earlier on Monday late evening, he also visited Eklavya School Kilar and interacted with the children.
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