Shimla: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced a new welfare scheme for 1.8 lakh economically vulnerable families identified through a year-long survey.He said the state government would work to improve the financial condition of the targeted population over the next two years under the scheme.The ‘Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar’ scheme will be launched on Oct 2. Deputy commissioners have been directed to assess the needs of every identified family within two months and map them with suitable central and state govt welfare schemes.Sukhu said govt identified 1.80 lakh families from among nearly 19 lakh families of the state after an eight-phase survey. More than half of those identified are already on the Below Poverty Line (BPL) list. The remaining families are economically vulnerable but are not currently covered under the BPL category.Clarifying that the BPL list would not be altered, Sukhu said existing benefits to the BPL families would continue.At the state-level Independence Day function at Barsar in Hamirpur on Saturday, the CM also announced a series of financial and employment measures, including an additional Rs 20,000 in salary arrears for the Class-IV employees to be paid this month.Class-III pensioners and family pensioners who retired between 2016 and 2021 will receive an additional 35% of their pension and family pension arrears, while Class-I and Class-II pensioners and family pensioners will receive 15% of arrears. Govt will spend Rs 281 crore on these payments, he said.Sukhu also announced the filling of 4,000 posts in the Jal Shakti Vibhag, while monthly incentives for around 9,000 ASHA workers under the National Health Mission (NHM), Himachal Pradesh, will be increased from Rs 5,800 to Rs 6,800.The CM further announced revised monthly remuneration of Rs 25,000 for outsourced staff nurses, pharmacists, operation theatre assistants and laboratory technicians working under the NHM, and Rs 18,000 for data entry operators, effective Sept 1.On the nutrition front, Sukhu announced the state govt would roll out ‘Indira Gandhi Matri Shishu Sankalp Yojana’ on Oct 2 on a pilot basis in 21 Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) blocks. The scheme will strengthen nutritional support for mothers and children by providing improved premix food and milk, or eggs three times a week, based on beneficiaries’ preference.Govt will also spend Rs 150 crore over the next two years on milk-processing infrastructure in Solan, Una, Sirmaur, Shimla, Mandi, Kullu and Hamirpur. Sukhu said the state’s first modern milk-processing plant, with a capacity of 1,50,000 litres a day, is being established at Daghwar in Kangra district at a cost of about Rs 250 crore.For employment and education, the CM announced 100 new CBSE schools starting next academic session. He said doctors scheduled to retire between Aug 2026 and March 31, 2027, would continue in service and retire on March 31, 2027.He also said the govt was examining the concerns of multi-task workers and outsourced employees and was considering a policy to provide them appropriate benefits.Sukhu said the state was also moving towards financial self-reliance despite the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant of around Rs 8,000-10,000 crore by the 16th Finance Commission.He said the govt was pursuing Himachal’s claim of around Rs 7,000 crore from the Bhakra project, along with its claims relating to Shanan, Bairasul, water cess and Chandigarh.He further said the second phase of the govt’s ‘Chitta-Mukt Himachal Abhiyan’ would begin from Una on Sept 7, with a proposed ‘Khelo Himachal, Chitta-Mukt Abhiyan’ to involve young people in sports.Sukhu also announced a Rs 2,000-crore scheme for improving drinking-water availability across all districts and highlighted new ropeway and healthcare projects, including robotic surgery facilities at medical colleges and AIIMS Chamiyana.He said robotic surgery costing more than Rs 5 lakh in private hospitals would be available at govt institutions for Rs 30,000 to Rs 80,000.4,967 beneficiaries get over Rs 20cr aidAt the Independence Day function, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu distributed financial assistance of over Rs 20.61 crore to 4,967 eligible beneficiaries under various welfare schemes of the Himachal Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. Under the Marriage Assistance Scheme, 1,758 beneficiaries received Rs 8.98 crore, while 2,788 beneficiaries received Rs 7.89 crore under the Education Assistance Scheme. Further, 17 beneficiaries received Rs 3.54 lakh as medical assistance.Similarly, financial assistance of Rs 1.49 crore was provided to 60 beneficiaries under the Death and Funeral Assistance Scheme, while 109 beneficiaries received Rs 38.02 lakh under the Maternity and Paternity Assistance Scheme.Sixty-eight beneficiaries were provided financial assistance of Rs 89.77 lakh for the construction of houses. Further, 63 people received Rs 12 lakh under the Mentally Disabled Assistance Scheme, while 61 single, deserted and differently-abled women were provided monetary assistance of Rs 61 lakh. Under the Child Birth Gift Scheme, 39 beneficiaries received financial assistance of Rs 19.89 lakh.
