Shimla: Cabinet Makes  Decisions on Kangra Airport Expansion and Other Initiatives and Okays Hundreds of jobs in the state.

In a meeting held today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the State Cabinet made several important decisions.

Leading the list was the approval for land acquisition and compensation for families affected by the expansion of Kangra airport.

Additionally, the Cabinet approved state funding for the Bulk Drug Park in Haroli Assembly constituency of Una district and decided to call for its tender.

Other major decisions included bringing areas such as Retreat, Mashobra, Band Tukda Andri, Shiv Mandi Andri, Tal and Giri, D.P.F. Khalini, B.C.S. Mist Chamber, and Parimahal under the Green Area in the Shimla Development Plan.

The Cabinet accepted the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on pending results for Junior Office Assistant post codes 903 and 939, directing H.P. Rajya Chayan Aayog Hamirpur to declare the final results. 

In education, the Cabinet approved the creation and filling of 486 Lecturer Physical Education posts and 157 supernumerary Principal School Cadre posts.

Additionally, 245 Special Educator positions were approved to support children with special needs.

Services of 18 Grameen Vidya Upasaks who completed three years of service were regularized as Junior Basic Teachers.

The Cabinet also greenlit the creation of 53 posts for Fire Officers and officials and 60 posts for police personnel at state heliports.

Thirty posts in H.P. Rajya Chayan Aayog Hamirpur and 30 JOA (IT) posts in the Public Works Department will also be filled.

Twenty-seven additional Block Development Officer posts were created, raising the total to 123.

The establishment of a Cardiology Department at Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur, with three new posts (Professor, Assistant Professor, and Senior Resident Doctor), was approved.

Two District Controller posts in the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department will also be filled via direct recruitment.

Significant decisions included declaring Patwari, Kanunago, and Naib Tehsildar positions in the Revenue Department as State Cadre, granting annual emolument enhancements at Aryabhatta Geo-Informatics and Space Application Centre, and introducing child care leave for female government employees.

The Cabinet introduced the 'Himachal Pradesh State Award for School Teachers Scheme, 2024' to recognize outstanding teachers and created a State Fund for persons with disabilities.

It recommended the early release of 16 life-term prisoners and amended the H.P Motor Vehicles Rules, 1999, requiring a receipt for two Bureau of Indian Standards-certified helmets for two-wheeler registration.

Shimla and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda.

The Cabinet approved setting up a ropeway from taxi parking to Baba Balak Nath Temple Deothsidh in Hamirpur and purchasing PET and Spect Scan Machines for IGMC.

Lastly, the Cabinet rationalized the Zero Electricity Bill subsidy to 'One Family One Meter' and ended subsidies for several high-ranking officials and income tax payers.

The MoU for daily flights between Shimla and Dharamshala will continue.