Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla Addresses the House, Lauds Government’s Achievements as Budget Session of Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Kicks Off
Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla addressing the House on the first day of the budget session
Shimla, March 10, 2025 – The important Budget session of the fourteenth Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh started today with the address of Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla. The current government will hold its third budget session with a total of 16 meetings. The budget for 2025-26 will be tabled by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on March 17, and a discussion on it is expected to cover a gamut of issues that the present government has focused.
The one-and-a-half-hour speech delivered by the Governor was a summary of the state’s achievements, and a statement of the government’s vision going forward. His speech was built on the government’s development model, which he listed as being based on seven major pillars intended to enhance the people of Himachal Pradesh’s several spheres of life.
The Seven Key Pillars of the Government’s Development Model
Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla maintained that the current government has designed its policy framework on the seven pillars. These pillars form the basis of the government’s approach to governance and development. First Key Pillar: Focus on Happy Villages and Happy Farmers — emphasising the commitment of the government towards rural prosperity and farmers welfare. The other major aim is equitable distribution of benefits of government schemes. It should reach the most marginalized sections of society.
The third pillar of this vision shows the government’s top priority that is to provide quality education to the youth of Himachal Pradesh and prepare students for future challenges. Then there is another: boost women’s standard of living, which means their economic empowerment and equal opportunities. Ease of living is also a focus for the government to streamline processes and make government services more accessible to the public.
The Governor said that securing the vital component is environment protection and the development plan is focused on that to safeguard the unique ecosystem of Himachal Pradesh from natural disasters. Finally, the Government is committed to create a self reliant Himachal through stimulating industrialization, sustainable development and enabling secured prosperity for all the citizens.
Robust Action on Drugs and Narcotics
Flirting with trouble, the state government in Himachal Pradesh has been fighting the growing menace of drug abuse, which has plagued the state at various levels and different areas. Shukla informed that the State Govt has taken hard steps against the drug peddling and substance abuse. So far in the year 2024, illegal properties worth Rs 11 crore have been seized under the Narcotics Act. Further, the government has created a special task force to combat narcotics and organized crime in the state, emphasizing that it was determined to take serous steps to ensure safety of residents in addition to the general law and order situation in the state.
HUGE Steps Forward in Education
His statement continued to praise the Gov. of the state where those educational initiatives are showing promise. Himachal Pradesh’s students have been ranked among the best in the country based on their academic performance, as per the 2024 ASER (Annual Status of Education Report). It has worked for the state to cluster the government schools into a cluster school model which streamlines the resources and improves the quality of learning.
The step is not only to boost the infrastructure but also to provide an environment for the betterment of students to achieve the best education. One of the achievements in the state’s development has been the emphasis on the raising of educational standards.
Despite Economic Struggles, Ongoing Development
Governor Shukla acknowledged that the state was facing a massive financial squeeze after GST compensation ended and a revenue deficit grant allocated by the 15th Finance Commission was also cut by the Centre. But despite missing a lot of the revenue that they planned, the government has been able to maintain the pace of development. The Governor highlighted ongoing infrastructural development and social welfare initiatives in the state that were not stalled due to such fiscal constraints.
Women Empowerment Employment Schemes
Women empowerment constitutes a signature of the ongoing government and the Governor reiterated about several flagship initiatives that seek to reenergise the women in Himachal Pradesh. The government is making good efforts towards honouring its election promises, including restoring the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to state employees and giving Rs 1500 monthly honorarium to women. These efforts are part of a broader agenda to strengthen women’s place in the workforce and in societies’ decision-making.
Granting an amount of Rs 680 crore for the Rajiv Gandhi Startup Yojana is being filed to encourage women entrepreneurs so that they can easily start their business and contribute to growth of local economies. The Governor also pointed to a record jump in the rates paid for milk procurement that benefits dairy farmers, a large percentage of whom are women.
Strengthening Tourism and the Railway Network
Governor Shukla also highlighted the major progress in the development of tourism, an important sector in the economy of Himachal Pradesh. The state’s new Eco-Tourism Policy 2024 aims at attracting more & more tourists while protecting the environment. The paragliding world cup in Bir Billing and a tourism village in Nagarota, Kangra, are just two of the major initiatives the state has undertaken to expand its tourism sector.
Moreover, the state’s railway network expansion is progressing rapidly, with ongoing projects such as the Chandigarh-Baddi rail line, Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri rail line, and the Una-Hamirpur rail line. These developments aim to improve connectivity within Himachal Pradesh and to neighboring states, facilitating the movement of goods and people, and providing a boost to the state’s tourism and economy.
Enhancing Law and Order
The Governor lauded the measures being taken by the government for ensuring law and order in the state. In 2024, the crime rate in the state of Himachal Pradesh had gone down, which was an index showing the successful implementation of law and order measures by the state government, he added. Establishment of cyber police stations at Mandi and Kangra, which would be further expanded to each district headquarters to provide layers of security. Such initiatives are needed as cyber crimes continue to grow rampant in the digital age.
Fostering Economic Growth and Industry
The state government has focused on creating a self-reliant Himachal despite the financial constraints. Through NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), 127 schemes amounting to Rs 988 crore have also been approved to encourage agriculture and infrastructure development and rural development. Apart from this, Himachal Pradesh has also been awarded nationally for the Ease of Doing Business ranking as a reward for the power of industry’s booster dose for the sector.
Staging a shared moment of unity: winning at cricket
In a lighter moment during the speech, both the ruling and opposition parties broke into applause when Governor Shukla congratulated Indian cricket team for the Champions Trophy win. A rare moment of unity in the Assembly over the past week was a reminder of how important common cultural and national pride is, even amid political disagreement.
The Road Ahead
The discussion on the Governor’s address is expected to take place on March 11, and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu would respond on it. The Governor’s address highlighted the government’s achievements and underlines a marked commitment to getting things done in the presence of hurdles. The Chief Minister is scheduled to present the new budget on March 17 that will detail many of these initiatives and the government’s expected plans for financial year 2025-26.
Himachal Pradesh lies in the lap of Himalayas and geography, topography and socio-economic conditions are diverse and challenging but pushing population towards infrastructure, social welfare and economic development. Governor Shukla pointed to government policies today that are not only responding to current challenges but are looking for long-term sustainable development. Himachal Pradesh looks forward to progress in education, women empowerment, tourism, and economic growth under the present government.
During the budget session, however, will these accomplishments and plans be further reflected by the pivotal policies on the ground or will the government be able to find its way over the challenges of financing it — hoping to keep the momentum of development intact.
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