Himachal Cabinet Approves 4,090 Para-Worker Posts, 500 Staff Nurses; Anganwadi Workers’ Honorarium Hiked

Milk incentive doubled to Rs. 6 per litre; special relief package approved for disaster-hit families in Boh Valley

Shimla, October 11: The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has approved a series of major decisions concerning employment, education, healthcare, agriculture, tourism and public welfare.

The Cabinet cleared the engagement of 4,090 para-workers in the Jal Shakti Department, recruitment of 500 Assistant Staff Nurses and several other positions across government departments. It also approved an increase in the monthly honorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers, doubled the milk incentive for dairy farmers and sanctioned a special relief package for disaster-affected families in Boh Valley of Kangra district.

4,090 Para-Workers to Be Engaged

The Cabinet approved the engagement of 4,090 para-workers in the Jal Shakti Department, including Para Pump Operators, Para Fitters and Multipurpose Workers.

In the education sector, 100 additional schools will be affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), for which a new scheme will be prepared. The government also approved the filling of 3,900 teaching and 900 non-teaching posts under the new scheme-based recruitment process.

The Cabinet further approved a Limited Direct Recruitment (LDR) test for left-out School Management Committee (SMC) teachers, including PGTs and TGTs. Computer teachers currently working in government schools on an outsourcing basis will also be considered for recruitment through LDR.

Recruitment Across Health, Education and Other Departments

The Cabinet approved several recruitment proposals across different departments, including:

• Health Department: 500 Assistant Staff Nurses.
• Education Department: 320 Assistant Professors in the college cadre under the backlog quota.
• Public Works Department: 172 Multi-Task Workers and 10 Junior Engineers (Civil).
• Forest Department: 10 Range Forest Officers and a policy paving the way for recruitment of 500 Assistant Forest Guards.
• Animal Husbandry Department: 116 posts across various categories.
• Horticulture Department: 40 Horticulture Extension Officers and five Senior Assistants.
• Medical Education: 30 Radiologists, 13 Clinical Psychologists and six Perfusionists.
• Technical Education: 40 Assistant Lecturers and 120 Assistant Craft Instructors.
• Treasuries, Accounts and Lotteries: 18 Assistant Treasury Officers.

The Cabinet also approved recruitment and creation of posts in several other departments, including Cooperation, Elections, Forensic Services, State Taxes and Excise, and Transport.

Anganwadi Workers and Van Mitras to Receive Higher Honorarium

The Cabinet approved an increase in the monthly honorarium of Anganwadi workers from Rs. 10,500 to Rs. 11,500 and that of Anganwadi helpers from Rs. 5,800 to Rs. 6,800.

The annual income ceiling for the appointment of Anganwadi workers and helpers from among widows, destitute women and single women has also been raised from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 75,000.

The monthly honorarium of Van Mitras has been increased from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000. Special Police Officers deployed in border areas will also receive an additional Rs. 500 per month, effective April 1, 2026.

Milk Incentive Doubled to Rs. 6 Per Litre

In a major decision for dairy farmers, the Cabinet approved an increase in assistance under the Milk Incentive Scheme from Rs. 3 to Rs. 6 per litre.

Government departments will be directed to procure their milk and milk-product requirements from Milkfed to ensure a more assured market for dairy producers.

The Cabinet also sanctioned an additional Rs. 603 crore for the continuation and expansion of the Integrated Development Project for Sustainability and Climate-Resilient Rainfed Agriculture in Solan district.

Special Relief Package for Boh Valley Disaster Victims

The Cabinet approved a special relief package for disaster-affected families in Boh Valley of Kangra district.

Under the package:

• Families whose houses have been completely damaged will receive Rs. 7.50 lakh.
• Rs. 1 lakh will be provided to compensate for the loss of household belongings.
• A rental assistance of Rs. 5,000 will be provided.
• Free ration will be supplied for six months.
• Compensation of Rs. 55,000 will be given for the loss of a buffalo.
• Rs. 15,000 will be provided for the loss of a goat or sheep.
• Rs. 1 lakh will be provided for losses in fisheries.
• Crop damage will attract assistance of Rs. 2,000 per kanal.
• Rs. 5,000 will be provided for damage to agricultural land.

The Cabinet also increased financial assistance under the President’s Merits Assistance Scheme for Home Guard volunteers and their families from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 25,000 in cases of sudden and severe distress caused by illness or injury. In the event of death, financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh will be provided.

New Scheme for Reservoir Fishermen

The Cabinet decided to launch the Mukhyamantri Machhuara Sahayata Yojana to ensure remunerative prices for reservoir fishermen.

Under the scheme, a minimum support price of Rs. 100 per kilogram will be offered for reservoir fish. If fish is sold at a lower price through auction, the state government will provide a subsidy of up to Rs. 20 per kilogram.

The monthly pension for persons with 100 per cent disability has also been increased to Rs. 3,000 with effect from April 1, 2026.

Healthcare and Medical Education to Get a Boost

The Cabinet approved the upgradation of Primary Health Centre (PHC) Darini (Ridkumar) in Kangra district to a Community Health Centre (CHC), along with the creation and filling of the required posts.

New PHCs will be opened at Sansal in Kangra district and Panjoa in Una district. A government nursing college with 60 B.Sc. Nursing seats will be established at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba.

Two super-speciality departments—Critical Care Medicine and Surgical Gastroenterology—will be established at the Atal Institute of Medical Super Specialities, Chamiyana. Supporting departments, including Blood Transfusion, Anaesthesia and Radiology, will also be strengthened.

The Cabinet additionally approved the filling of 24 Medical Officer posts in specialist and super-specialist categories at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda.

Tourism and Transport Infrastructure to Expand

The Cabinet approved the allotment of nine ecotourism sites to promote ecotourism activities in the state.

An eight-storey multi-level parking facility-cum-toilet complex will be constructed at Shri Baba Balak Nath Temple, Deotsidh, in Hamirpur district to improve facilities for devotees.

A City Centre will be established at the old bus stand in Hamirpur, while an Inter-State Bus Terminal will come up at Shitalpur in Baddi, Solan district.

The Cabinet also approved the redevelopment of Chhota Shimla Chowk and the construction of an underpass to improve public convenience. The state-level Holi Mela at Sujanpur has been accorded international status.

Changes in Hydropower Projects

The Cabinet approved the cancellation of the allotment of 33 small hydropower projects, each with an installed capacity of less than 5 MW, citing a lack of progress by developers.

Fresh bids will be invited for the 126 MW Chhatru and 205 MW Ropa-I and Ropa-III power projects.

The government also approved a Trout Risk Fund Scheme with a budget of Rs. 1 crore to protect trout farmers against losses caused by disasters. The HPSHIVA project has been extended by two years, from June 2028 to June 2030.

Other Key Cabinet Decisions

• Special courts will be established in Kangra and Mandi for cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
• The Witness Protection Scheme has been approved.
• The Department of Technical Education, Vocational and Industrial Training will be renamed the Department of Technical Education, Skill and Entrepreneurship Development.
• The HP Government Dental College and Hospital, Shimla, will be renamed Rajiv Gandhi Government Dental College and Hospital, Shimla.
• The management of Pir Nigah Temple in Una district will be taken over by the government.
• The Nutrition Policy 2026 has been approved.
• Cook-cum-helpers working under the PM-POSHAN Scheme in government schools will receive 12 days of casual leave in a calendar year.
• Guidelines for ambulance link roads have been approved, formally recognising them as a separate category.
• A Trout Risk Fund Scheme will provide disaster-related protection to trout farmers.
• A policy for regulating transfers of government employees to their home districts and within the same district will be prepared by a committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, with Agriculture Minister Prof. Chander Kumar and Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi as members.

Focus on Employment and Public Welfare

The Cabinet decisions cover employment generation, improved healthcare and education facilities, support for farmers and disaster-affected families, and the development of tourism and transport infrastructure.

Recruitment notifications, eligibility conditions and application schedules for the approved posts will depend on subsequent announcements by the concerned departments.