Despite grant withdrawal, Himachal to continue with OPS, welfare schemes, clarifies cabinet

Shimla: Despite the central govt discontinuing revenue deficit grant (RDG), the Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Thursday clarified that the old pension scheme (OPS) and all existing programmes—HimCare, Sahara, and the market intervention scheme (MIS)—will continue. Employees will keep receiving their dearness allowance, various schemes will run without interruption and recruitment will continue, said a spokesperson.The CM also directed all ministers to examine wasteful expenditure. The council of ministers, led by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, approved Toll Tax Barrier Policy 2026-27 with a base value of nearly Rs 180 crore, and Excise Policy 2026-27, under which e-auction of liquor vends will be held for the first time in the state to ensure transparency. There were a total of 68 agendas for discussion.The cabinet also approved the governor's address, scheduled to be delivered on Feb 16, marking the first day of the initial phase of the three-day budget session approved so far. Parliamentary affairs minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said the budget will be presented in March, as several matters are still under consideration, with the exact date to be finalised soon. The agenda for the second phase of the budget session is not yet determined. The first phase will be followed by a break of nearly two weeks, after which proceedings will resume.The cabinet also gave the nod to extending 26 weeks of maternity leave to female home guard volunteers. Amendments to ‘Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana' will provide financial support to daughters of widows pursuing professional courses in govt institutions, including Rs 3,000 monthly rent if hostel facilities are unavailable. The ‘Indira Gandhi Matri Shishu Sankalp Yojana' was approved to enhance nutrition for children under 6, expectant women, and lactating mothers. Additionally, the marriage grant for persons with disabilities was increased to Rs 2 lakh for over 70% disability, and Rs 25,000 for 40–70% disability.Other decisions by Sukhu & TeamNod to 1,689 posts | The cabinet okayed a total of 1,689 posts. Among the biggest, it approved the creation of 1,066 posts, including 150 posts each of Sanskrit, physical education, music, and drawing teachers, for proposed CBSE schools, to be filled through Rajya Chayan Aayog. It also decided to merge 31 boys' and girls' schools into co-educational institutions. Additionally, the cabinet sanctioned 190 posts of junior engineer (civil) and 151 posts of junior office assistant (IT) under separate cadres. Approval was given for 40 pharmacy officer posts and 150 assistant staff nurse positions in the health and family welfare department. Approval was also granted to establish drug testing laboratories at Nurpur, Baddi, and Una, along with 36 posts in various categories. It also sanctioned 30 radiographer posts and 10 food safety officer positions in the health department. Other approvals included eight safai karamchari posts in the high court registry, five welfare organiser positions in the department of sainik welfare, and three junior office assistant (IT) posts in the revenue department.1,600cr health upgrade | The cabinet approved a Rs 1,617.4-crore project to modernise medical colleges, super-speciality hospitals, and Adarsh Swasthya Sansthans, aiming to strengthen healthcare services and provide affordable, quality treatment within the state. It also sanctioned modern equipment for the Mother and Child Hospital at Kamla Nehru Hospital, Shimla; Civil Hospitals at Sundernagar and Nurpur; Regional Hospital Una; a 50-bed critical care block at Bhoranj Civil Hospital; and the district integrated public health laboratory at Bilaspur. Departments of immunohaematology and blood transfusion will be established at Dr YS Parmar Medical College, Nahan. A state-wide biomedical equipment management programme will ensure equipment maintenance, patient safety, and hospital efficiency.Sub-committee for lottery rules | It also approved the constitution of a cabinet sub-committee under the chairmanship of rural development and panchayati raj minister Anirudh Singh, with town and country planning minister Rajesh Dharmani as a member, to frame the draft HP State Lottery (Regulation) Rules, 2026. The cabinet approved opening a Boys' Volleyball Sports Hostel at Govt Senior Secondary School, Chopal, in Shimla, and a Girls' Kabaddi Sports Hostel at Govt Senior Secondary School, Shillai, in Sirmaur. It also sanctioned Girls' Boxing at Thakur Ram Lal Sports Hostel, Jubbal, in Shimla, and a Handball Sports Hostel at Morsinghi, Bilaspur. The sports hostel at Luhnu in Bilaspur will increase beds from 80 to 100.