CHANDIGARH: On the completion of two years of the Congress-led government in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday launched six new schemes and distributed financial assistance to beneficiaries.
At an event at Luhnu Ground in Bilaspur, marking the completion of two years of the present state government’s tenure, aiming to promote natural farming, CM Sukhu introduced “Him Bhog Atta,” prepared from maize grown using natural farming practices. The government procured 398 metric tonnes of maize from 1,506 farmers of ten districts of the state and transferred Rs 1.20 crore directly to their bank accounts.
With Himachal Pradesh offering the highest support price in the country for wheat (Rs 40 per kg) and maize (Rs 30 per kg), over 1.98 lakh farmers across 35,000 hectares were engaged in natural farming. To further encourage this, 36,000 new farmers are being integrated this year.
To benefit small farmers and livestock owners and fulfill the guarantee enshrined in the Congress Pratigya Patra, Sukhu launched a scheme to purchase organic compost and vermin compost at Rs 300 per quintal. Payments of Rs 1 lakh were distributed to 100 farmers via direct benefit transfer (DBT). This initiative aims to boost farmer's incomes thereby strengthening the rural economy. He also handed over keys to 16 electric taxi owners under the Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up Scheme 2023.
Beneficiaries received a 50 per cent subsidy for purchasing the e-taxis with the vehicles leased to government offices for five years. This arrangement guarantees a stable monthly income for taxi owners. The state government aims to provide around 150 permits to e-taxi owners in the first phase. Sukhu also rolled out the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana by disbursing Rs 1.38 crore to the eligible 5,145 beneficiaries of the state and also provided them eligibility certificates.
The scheme aims to cover the education of 23,000 children of widows, destitute women, divorced women and disabled parents, offering them financial assistance for their higher education and well-being. Eligible beneficiaries receive Rs 1,000 monthly for children under the age of 18 and financial aid for higher education expenses.
With an annual budget of Rs 53.21 crore, the scheme aims to prevent child exploitation and provide a supportive environment for vulnerable families. He also launched the Rs 1292 crore Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition Project (HP Shiva) to expand horticulture development across seven districts.
The initiative would cover 6,000 hectares, promoting the cultivation of fruits like oranges, guavas, litchi and plums, benefiting over 15,000 farming families directly. It was expected to produce 1.3 lakh metric tonnes of fruit annually by 2032 with a market value of Rs 400 crore.
Sukhu flagged off five mobile Ayush healthcare units to serve remote tribal regions, including Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba and Shillai block of Sirmaur district. Each unit would have an experienced medical team offering Ayurveda, Unani, or Homeopathy treatments based on local needs. This initiative aims to improve healthcare access in underserved areas.
Sukhu also extended financial aid amounting to Rs 1.90 crore under the Mukhyamantri Sukh-Ashray Yojana (MMSAY) to 197 beneficiaries in Bilaspur district. This included pension for 153 children, housing grants for 17 beneficiaries, marriage and higher education aid for 10 each and vocational training and start-up assistance for three beneficiaries each.