Himachal CM administers oath to newly elected Panchayat Pradhans, Up-Pradhans of Kangra district
Shimla, June 18
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly elected Panchayat Pradhans and Up-Pradhans of Kangra district and extended his heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all the elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions.
According to a release, he also administered a collective pledge to the gathering to make Himachal Pradesh free from Chitta and to strengthen the mass movement against drug abuse.
Addressing the oath-taking ceremony at Dari ground in Dharamshala, the Chief Minister said that Panchayats were the strongest pillar of Indian democracy and played a pivotal role in realising Mahatma Gandhi's vision of Gram Swaraj. The Panchayat representatives serve as the most important link between the government and the people and bear the responsibility of ensuring transparency, accountability and public participation in implementing schemes related to roads, drinking water, sanitation, education, healthcare and livelihoods while promoting village development, social harmony and public welfare.
The Chief Minister said that the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments marked a historic step towards ensuring women's participation in PRIs and urban local bodies, an initiative inspired by the vision of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi.
He said the State Government conducted the Panchayat elections in a timely and well-planned manner to ensure that students' education was not disrupted. He also informed that the honorarium of Panchayat representatives had been enhanced.
He said the state government was working with a commitment to bring about systemic reforms and make Himachal Pradesh a self-reliant state over the next five years. Through fiscal discipline, better resource management and control over unnecessary expenditure, the government had generated additional revenue worth thousands of crores during the last three and a half years. Simultaneously, it had been vigorously pursuing the State's interests before the Union Government on issues such as green bonus, revenue deficit grant, Shanan Project, Bhakra Beas Management Board and other matters concerning Himachal Pradesh.
The Chief Minister said the state government had achieved a significant breakthrough in safeguarding Himachal's interests in the 422 MW Kishau Dam Project.
He added that upon completion of this project, Himachal Pradesh would receive around 100 crore units of electricity annually, valued at nearly Rs. 600 crore. He also referred to the Supreme Court's decision in favour of Himachal regarding royalty from the Karcham-Wangtoo hydroelectric project and the successful resolution of the hotel Wild Flower Hall case, both of which would significantly strengthen the State's revenues.
Highlighting the state government's initiatives to strengthen the rural economy, Sukhu said the support price for cow milk had been increased from Rs. 32 to Rs. 61 per litre and for buffalo milk from Rs. 47 to Rs. 71 per litre. Alongside promoting natural farming, the government was providing Minimum Support Prices of Rs. 150 per kilogram for raw turmeric, Rs. 80 per kilogram for wheat and Rs. 50 per kilogram for maize. The Pangi valley in Chamba district had been declared the State's first natural farming sub-division, where naturally grown barley was being procured at Rs. 80 per kilogram and ginger was being purchased for the first time at a support price of Rs. 30 per kilogram.
He said the government was creating maximum employment opportunities for youth and announced that recruitment for 800 constable posts in the Police department would commence shortly.
The Chief Minister said the state government had increased wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from Rs. 247 to Rs. 320 per day, resulting in the generation of 407 lakh man-days during the previous financial year against the target of 250 lakh man-days.
He alleged that changes made by the union government to the original framework of MGNREGS could cause an annual financial loss of nearly Rs 800 crore to Himachal Pradesh. He further alleged that the implementation of the Agniveer recruitment scheme in the armed forces and changes in the structure of MGNREGS had reduced employment opportunities in the State.
Describing the growing menace of drug abuse, particularly Chitta, as a serious social challenge, the Chief Minister said the state government was working under a multi-pronged strategy to dismantle the drug network.
The Anti-Chitta Jan Andolan, launched on November 15, 2025, had now evolved into a statewide mass movement with active public participation. He informed that 234 Panchayats had been identified as Chitta-affected, which had been placed under special surveillance, while Panchayat representatives had been urged to work towards making their villages drug-free and to engage youth in sports, education and cultural activities.
Sukhu said the government was undertaking comprehensive reforms in the education and healthcare sectors to ensure the State's long-term prosperity. English-medium education had been introduced in the government-run schools from Class I Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools were being established and the CBSE curriculum had been adopted in selected government schools. More than 5,400 teachers had been recruited, and 150 CBSE schools were being developed to provide quality and competitive education to students.
As per a release, in the healthcare sector, the Government had invested Rs. 213.75 crore to modernise hospitals and medical colleges across the State. High-end MRI machines, CT scanners, digital radiography units, ultrasound systems and digital mammography equipment were being installed to ensure accurate and timely diagnosis and better treatment facilities.
In addition, Imaging Archive and Retrieval Technology Systems (PACS) worth Rs. 40 crore were being established in hospitals at Shimla to facilitate digital management of patients' diagnostic records and medical images. Besides, a new tourism policy had been introduced to make tourism a major source of employment in the State.
Following the declaration of Kangra district as the tourism capital, expansion of Kangra airport is being undertaken on priority, with compensation of nearly Rs. 2,500 crore already disbursed to affected farmers and compensation is also provided to other affected families as per norms. He further informed that financial assistance for the construction of houses for disaster-affected families had been enhanced from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.
Expressing confidence in the newly elected representatives, the Chief Minister urged them to accord the highest priority to public service and work with honesty, transparency and sensitivity to build model Panchayats. He said strong Panchayats are the foundation of strong villages, a strong Himachal Pradesh and a developed India.
Secretary (Agriculture and Panchayati Raj) C. Palrasu apprised the newly elected Panchayat representatives of the policies, programmes and welfare schemes being implemented by the state government.
Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa proposed the vote of thanks.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see Himachal CM highlighting the need for fiscal discipline and better resource management. But raising the MGNREGA wage while accusing the Centre of cutting funds feels contradictory. Let's hope the Panchayats can actually deliver on transparency and accountability, not just attend oath ceremonies.
The pledge to make Himachal drug-free is serious business. People are losing their kids to Chitta. But identifying 234 panchayats as affected is just the start—we need real community engagement, not just surveillance. Also, why is the CM talking about Rajiv Gandhi's vision when the current government claims to be progressive? Thoda consistency chahiye.
Great move on increasing milk support prices—from Rs 32 to Rs 61 for cow milk is a game-changer for dairy farmers. But let's not forget that farmers need timely payments, not just announcements. The real test is whether the Pradhans can ensure bureaucratic hurdles don't delay the benefits. 🤞
The CM says they conducted panchayat elections in time to avoid disrupting education—laudable, but 800 constable recruitments is too little for the youth unemployment crisis. Also, blaming the Agniveer scheme for reduced opportunities sounds like deflecting responsibility. Himachal's youth need jobs, not political slugfests.
The focus on women's participation in PRIs is important. But let's be honest—how many women Pradhans actually get to take decisions? Most are just proxies for their husbands or fathers. The CM should talk about training and empowering these women, not just mention constitutional amendments.