From Pay Hikes to Paternity Leave, Himachal Cabinet Pushes for Inclusive Growth

Cabinet approves higher honorarium for SPOs, green transport subsidies, and a Tourism Investment Council

The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, on Saturday approved a series of welfare measures, administrative reforms, and green mobility initiatives aimed at employee welfare, youth empowerment, and sustainable development.

A key decision was the increase in the monthly honorarium of 510 Special Police Officers (SPOs) by ₹300, effective April 1, 2025. This includes 403 SPOs from non-tribal areas and 107 from tribal regions. Similarly, SMC teachers, IT/computer instructors, mid-day meal workers, and part-time water carriers will also receive a monthly raise of ₹500 from the same date.

In a step toward gender-sensitive governance, the Cabinet approved 15 days of paternity leave for male contractual employees across all departments.

Promoting Green Transport and Energy

To boost clean mobility, the Cabinet authorized the conversion of 1,000 diesel and petrol taxis into electric vehicles, offering a 40% subsidy under the Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Scheme.

The land-based solar energy initiative was also revamped and renamed the Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Solar Energy Scheme, under which Himachalis establishing solar plants ranging from 100 kW to 2 MW in both tribal and non-tribal areas will be eligible for interest subsidies.

Expanding Access to Education and Employment

Under the revised Dr. Y.S. Parmar Student Loan Scheme, students pursuing postgraduate studies will now be able to avail of education loans at just 1% interest. The annual family income limit has been **tripled—from ₹4 lakh to ₹12 lakh—**to widen access to more beneficiaries.

The Cabinet also decided to create a separate state cadre for Junior Office Assistants (IT), beginning with 300 trainee posts under the Directorate of Recruitment.

Health and Governance Reforms

The Cabinet approved the construction of Nahan Medical College at a newly selected site. It also decided to transfer 32 assistant professor posts from super-specialty departments to emergency medicine departments across state medical colleges.

Additionally, the government cleared the Resident Doctors Policy–2025, aimed at improving workforce management and service efficiency.

Sports, Tourism, and Agriculture

To encourage broader sports participation, the government added 19 new disciplines—including rugby, fencing, para-sports, and kickboxing—to the list of games that qualify athletes for government jobs.

The Cabinet also approved the creation of a Tourism Investment Promotion Council (TIPC) to ensure transparent evaluation and facilitation of tourism projects across the state.

In agriculture, measures were introduced to streamline coordination between the Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana and the JICA-funded Crop Diversification Project (Phase II) to achieve better outcomes.

Finally, three new government primary schools will be opened in Haripur Sandholi-II, Surajmajra Lubana, and Chakkan (Baddi) in Solan district.