The Himachal Pradesh government has set up a cabinet sub-committee to review the operations of parking facilities run under the public-private partnership (PPP) model in Shimla City.
The decision was taken during the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday, which was chaired by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi will chair the committee, which will also include rural development and panchayati raj minister Anirudh Singh, urban development minister Vikramaditya Singh, and town and country planning minister Rajesh Dharamani. Shimla MLA Harish Janartha will serve as a special invitee.
The committee will review the operations of Lift Parking, Chhota Shimla Parking, Sanjauli Parking, New Bus Stand Parking and Tutikandi Parking.
Shimla MLA Harish Janartha said, “These parkings were set up on PPP mode and most of them have defaulted, in paying fees to the government. The lease of the parking has expired and to regularise the functioning of these parking this committee has been set up.”
In another decision, the cabinet also decided to transfer the administrative control of the state disaster response force (SDRF) to the additional director general (Home Guards and Civil Defence) to enhance its effectiveness during disasters and emergencies. It also approved the deputation of home guards to the SDRF for a maximum period of two years to ensure its smooth operation.
Apart from this, to promote the use of electric vehicles, the cabinet approved the involvement of private players to expand the EV charging station network along the state’s six green corridors. Currently, 77 EV charging stations are already operational on these corridors.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from this, to promote the use of electric vehicles, the cabinet approved the involvement of private players to expand the EV charging station network along the state’s six green corridors. Currently, 77 EV charging stations are already operational on these corridors.
{{/usCountry}}It also approved the establishment of automated testing stations for vehicle fitness assessments, utilising advanced automated equipment. The aim is to set up five such stations to better serve the residents of the state.
Recruitments approved
The cabinet approved the pending recruitment of 2,061 Van Mitras in the forest department by eliminating the 10-mark criteria for personal interviews.
It was also decided to create and fill up posts for 150 nursing personnel at Dr Radhakrishnan Government Medical College and Hospital, Hamirpur. Additionally, the cabinet decided to create and fill up six associate professor posts and 10 assistant professor posts across the departments of general medicine, paediatrics, general surgery, orthopaedics, anaesthesia and radiology in the medical college Hamirpur.
Other decisions
The cabinet sanctioned the opening of a new sub-divisional police officer’s office at Nadaun in Hamirpur district, along with the creation and filling of five posts across various categories. The cabinet also approved the establishment of a new Police Post at Shinkula under the Keylong police station in Lahaul-Spiti district, along with the creation and filling of six posts in various categories.
It also approved the establishment of a new fire post at Indora in Kangra district with 13 posts to be created and filled up in various categories.
The cabinet has decided to accept the recommendations of the cabinet sub-committee, headed by revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi, concerning the 450 MW Shongtong Karchham Power Project. This includes the directive to the company to ensure project completion by the financial year 2026-27.
It also decided to amend the Eco-tourism Policy 2017 to align with the recent amendments in the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) 2023.
Members of Blind people association protest, demand jobs
Members of Blind People Association on Tuesday blocked the road outside Himachal Pradesh Secretariat Chhota Shimla and demanded jobs, resulting in traffic jams on the circular road.
The protesters raised strong slogans against CM Sukhu, social justice and empowerment minister Dhaniram Shandil and the police administration.
Rajesh Thakur, president of the visually impaired association said that they have been waiting for backlog recruitment for a long time. He alleged that the police have taken away one of his colleagues in a car and are threatening him.
Leader of Opposition Jai Tam Thakur has strongly condemned the police brutality with visually impaired unemployed people during protest in Shimla. “The way the visually impaired were brutalised the government has lost human sensitivity at every level. When disabled people want to meet the Chief Minister to demand their rights, they are lathicharged. This dictatorship will not work in the state,” said Jai Ram.