A total of 2,035 government institutions were denotified up to July 31, 2025, while 362 institutions have been opened since the Congress government came to power in Himachal Pradesh, said chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in the Himachal Pradesh assembly in response to questions raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators, including former CM and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur, during Question Hour.
Sukhu said that of the institutions that were denotified, 123 have subsequently been reopened at the same locations. “The decision was taken to denotify the institutes that lacked adequate staff or necessary infrastructure. Even in the future rationalisation and merger will continue,” the CM said.
Sukhu, while accusing the BJP of distributing “freebies” for political gain, said, “The BJP opened 750 schools that lacked both students and teachers. These institutions were closed following consultations with the education minister and officials. Similarly, facilities were opened in the health sector without any doctors or support staff. In contrast, the institutions we have established are located where the public actually needed them; such institutions will continue to be opened in the future.”
The LoP questioned the rationale behind shutting institutions that were later reopened. He asked why such institutions were closed in the first place if they were subsequently found to be necessary.
Thakur and other BJP members alleged that the denotification decisions were “politically motivated”. BJP MLA Hans Raj raised the issue of institutions in the Churah constituency of Chamba, arguing that the difficult geography of the area required special consideration.
{{/usCountry}}Thakur and other BJP members alleged that the denotification decisions were “politically motivated”. BJP MLA Hans Raj raised the issue of institutions in the Churah constituency of Chamba, arguing that the difficult geography of the area required special consideration.
{{/usCountry}}Sukhu said the government was giving special attention to Chamba and had allocated ₹200 crore for completing the Chamba Medical College, besides working to strengthen its faculty.
‘Policy to be formulated for multi-task workers’
Sukhu said that a new policy would be formulated for multi-task workers employed across various departments in Himachal. The CM’s reply came in response to a question raised by Congress MLA RS Bali, who pointed out that several departments employ multi-task workers instead of merely increasing their pay by ₹500 or ₹1,000.
‘Guidelines regarding Swine Flu have been issued’
Sukhu said that necessary guidelines regarding Swine Flu have been issued to all health institutions. “The government regularly issues directives to health institutions concerning Swine Flu and other types of influenza and also conducts research on the matter. Regarding the reported death due to Swine Flu at IGMC, the patient had been transferred there from AIIMS Bilaspur,” Sukhu said.
‘Mukhyamantri Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana’ to launch in urban areas
The ‘Mukhyamantri Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana’ will be launched in the urban areas of Himachal. The urban development minister Vikramaditya Singh said this while responding to a question raised by Congress MLA Sanjay Rattan during Zero Hour. Rattan had pointed out that while the annual income limit for BPL and the yojana has been raised to ₹75,000 in rural areas, the limit remains at ₹26,500 in urban areas. He argued that this limit should be increased to ₹1 lakh so that more urban residents could benefit from the scheme.
‘Will increase MBBS seats for OBC category after census data’
Sukhu said that the state government would consider increasing the number of MBBS seats for the OBC category after the census data is released. This was stated in response to the question of reservation for OBC by BJP MLA Sukhram Chaudhary who pointed out that, out of 610 seats, only 14 seats are reserved for OBC category which is a “crude joke” as the OBC population in the state has now reached 24%.
MLA demands to start preparations of Manimahesh Yatra in May-June
During Zero Hour, MLA Janak Raj urged the government to initiate preparations for the Manimahesh Yatra as early as May or June. This would allow for the repair of roads damaged by monsoon rains and the rectification of other logistical arrangements before the pilgrimage commences.
The MLA said that in previous years, pilgrims faced immense difficulties due to road damage caused by rains, which often disrupted the pilgrimage. The MLA pointed out that pilgrims are required to pay registration fees, EDC charges, and fees for other services. Collectively, these charges impose an additional burden of approximately ₹250 per pilgrim.
In response, the revenue minister Jagat Negi acknowledged that pilgrims had faced various difficulties during the previous pilgrimage. The minister said that a heli-taxi service has also been introduced for the Manimahesh Yatra. Funds have been made available through LADA to improve traffic management during the pilgrimage.
Himachal tables Stamp Duty Amendment Bill
The Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday introduced the Indian Stamp (Himachal Pradesh Second Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the House, proposing a comprehensive overhaul of stamp duty rates and replacing the existing Schedule 1-A of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, as applicable to the state.
The Bill was tabled by revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi. The government has proposed replacing the existing Schedule 1-A in its entirety to remove ambiguities in the existing provisions and bring the stamp duty structure in line with prevailing economic conditions.
Under the proposed amendment, women purchasing property valued up to ₹1 crore would be eligible for a concessional stamp duty rate of 4% of the market value or consideration. For properties valued above ₹1 crore, the proposed rate would be 8%.
Himachal Pradesh State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026 tabled
The state brings in Himachal Pradesh State Universities Act governing various state universities that are substantially funded by the state government through grant-in-aid for carrying out their academic, research and administrative activities.
The Bill says that certain instances of financial mismanagement and lack of financial discipline have, however, come to the notice of the government. It has, therefore, become necessary to strengthen the financial governance framework of the state universities by providing greater financial oversight and accountability.
The Bill seeks to provide that the finance committee of every state university shall be headed by the secretary (finance) to the government and that all matters involving financial implications shall be placed before the finance committee.
The Bill seeks to ensure fairness, transparency and merit-based selection in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff of the state universities by providing that such appointments shall be made through the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission and the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog.