SHIMLA, Mar 8 : Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that the state government will introduce a law to provide 25 per cent reservation for women in recruitment to Class-III posts in government departments.
He made the announcement while presiding over the state-level International Women’s Day function held in Nahan in Sirmaur district on Sunday.
The Chief Minister also announced a special recruitment drive for women Sub-Inspectors in the Police Department to strengthen women’s participation in policing and other public services.
During the event, Sukhu announced an allocation of Rs. 500 crore for the development of Nahan Medical College.
He said the institution would be upgraded with improved infrastructure and enhanced medical facilities to strengthen healthcare services in the region.
The Chief Minister further announced an increase in the Mahila Samman Rashi from Rs. one lakh to Rs. two lakh.
He also said that new postgraduate courses, including MSc Zoology, MBA and MA History would be introduced at PG College Nahan from the next academic session.
Extending greetings on International Women’s Day, Sukhu said that the welfare and empowerment of women remained a key priority of the state government.
He said the government had ensured equal rights for daughters in ancestral property up to 150 bighas, giving them rights at par with sons.
He said that under the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana, the state government was bearing the cost of higher education for the children of widowed women. He also highlighted that the entire administrative leadership in Lahaul-Spiti district was currently held by women officers, while the Deputy Commissioners of Sirmaur and Hamirpur were also women.
The Chief Minister said that the state government had increased the legal marriage age for women from 18 to 21 years.
He added that widow remarriage was being encouraged and the incentive amount had been increased from Rs. 65,000 to Rs. 2 lakh.
Sukhu said that 30 percent reservation had already been provided to women in police recruitment and the government was also considering providing a monthly pension of Rs. 1,500 to women in the state from next year.
Referring to financial challenges, Sukhu said that February 1, 2026 would remain a “black day” in the history of Himachal Pradesh as the central government had stopped the annual RDG financial assistance of Rs. 10,000 crore to the state. He said that Himachal Pradesh had limited sources of revenue despite contributing to water resources and forest conservation that benefit other states.
He also criticised the previous BJP government, stating that Himachal Pradesh had slipped to the 21st position in quality education rankings during its tenure.
The present government, he said, was working to improve the quality of education and had introduced CBSE-pattern schools where subjects such as music and drawing would also be taught, with teachers to be recruited through the Rajya Chayan Aayog.
The Chief Minister added that the government was also strengthening the rural economy and had already fulfilled seven key guarantees. The honorarium of Anganwadi workers had been increased to Rs. 10,500, while Anganwadi helpers were now receiving Rs. 5,800.
Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil said that daughters were making significant progress in education and other fields and called upon society to eliminate gender discrimination and promote equal opportunities for women.
Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan also emphasised the important role of women in social development.
(UNI)
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