DW BUREAU / Shimla

The State Cabinet, in its meeting held today under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, decided to regularize the services of contractual employees who have completed two years of continuous service as on 31st March, 2025. It also approved the regularization of daily waged workers and contingent paid workers who have completed four years of continuous service as on the same date.

The cabinet approved the takeover of the 382 MW Sunni, 210 MW Luhri Stage-I, and 66 MW Dhaulasidh hydroelectric projects, which were earlier allotted to SJVNL, as well as the 500 MW Dugar and 180 MW Baira Suil hydroelectric projects allotted to NHPC. To facilitate the takeover of the Sunni, Luhri Stage-I, Dhaulasidh, and Dugar projects, it approved the appointment of an independent evaluator to assess the actual expenditure incurred on these projects. For the takeover of the Baira Suil project, approval was granted for the appointment of an Administrator.

It accorded sanction to establish a 50-bedded Critical Care Block (CCB) at PHC Swahan (Regional Hospital Bilaspur) along with necessary equipment and another 50-bedded CCB at Civil Hospital Rohru in Shimla district with required equipment. It also approved setting up of District Integrated Public Health Laboratories at Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba, and at District Hospital Hamirpur, attached with Dr. Radha Krishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur. The approval was also given for the procurement of equipment for the under-construction Mother and Child Hospital wings at Kamla Nehru Hospital Shimla, Regional Hospital Una and Civil Hospital Sundernagar in Mandi district, to ensure the smooth function of these medical institutions.

It decided to enhance the monthly stipend for Senior Residents and Tutor Specialists from the existing Rs. 60,000?65,000 to Rs. 1,00,000. Similarly, the stipend for Super Specialists and Senior Residents (Super Specialists) has been increased from Rs. 60,000?65,000 to Rs. 1,30,000 per month.

It also approved the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted for strengthening the Rogi Kalyan Samiti across the state, under the chairmanship of Health Minister Col (Dr.) Dhani Ram Shandil. The committee recommended the establishment of high-tech laboratories in all Government Medical Colleges and the provision of free diagnostic services, including all 133 lab tests and X-ray facilities, to orphans, widows and their dependent children, Ekal Nari and destitute women. With the inclusion of these new three categories, the total number of beneficiary categories eligible for free diagnostic services will increase from 11 to 14.

(editor@dailyworld.in)