Himachal changes norms for Van Mitra recruitment, eliminates 10-mark interview criteria 

Earlier, the Himachal Pradesh High Court had quashed the 10 people idiosyncratic interrogation criteria for hiring Van Mitras.

An authoritative spokesperson, aft the Cabinet meeting, said that the extremity of the Van Mitra strategy is to fortify section communities’ engagement successful the protection, conservation, and improvement of wood areas. Van Mitras (friends of forest) person incentives for maintaining and protecting plantations. “Men and women successful the property radical of 18 to 25 with matriculation and 10 positive arsenic minimum qualification who are residents of Gram Panchayat/urban Local Body wrong the jurisdiction of the wood bushed and person bully carnal and intelligence wellness are eligible to use for the post,” it said.

The Cabinet besides decided to make and capable up 150 posts of nursing unit and make and capable six posts of Associate Professor and 10 of Assistant Professors successful antithetic departments of Dr Radhakrishnan Government Medical College and Hospital Medical College astatine Hamirpur.

“The appointments of subordinate and adjunct professors volition beryllium made aiming astatine the motorboat of classes of assorted PG courses,” the spokesperson said.

The Cabinet besides decided to amend the Eco-tourism Policy 2017 to align with the caller amendments successful the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) 2023, aimed astatine promoting and processing eco-tourism activities successful the state. The Amended Forest Conservation Act (FCA) 2023 exempts definite specified wood lands for activities similar zoos and safaris, too eco-tourism facilities, silvicultural operations and immoderate different intent specified by the cardinal government.

To trim reliance connected fossil substance vehicles, the Cabinet approved involving backstage players to grow the electrical conveyance charging presumption web on the state’s six greenish corridors. Currently, 77 specified stations are operational.

The Cabinet besides approved the constitution of automated investigating stations for conveyance fittingness assessments, utilising precocious automated equipment. The purpose is to acceptable up 5 specified stations to amended service the residents of the state.

The Cabinet besides decided to transportation the administrative power of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to the Additional Director General (Home Guards and Civil Defence) to heighten its effectiveness during disasters and emergencies. Additionally, it besides approved the deputation of Home Guards to the SDRF for a maximum play of 2 years to guarantee its creaseless operation.

It besides approved the constitution of a caller Police Post astatine Shinkula nether the Keylong Police Station successful the Lahaul-Spiti territory with the instauration and filling of six posts successful assorted categories, the connection added.

The Cabinet sanctioned a caller Sub-Divisional Police Officer’s bureau astatine Nadaun successful Hamirpur district, on with the instauration and filling of 5 posts crossed assorted categories and the constitution of a caller Fire Post astatine Indora successful Kangra district, with 13 posts to beryllium created and filled up successful assorted categories.

Shongtong-Karcham Power Project: Cabinet adopts panel’s recommendations

The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet Tuesday decided to judge the recommendations of a Cabinet Sub-Committee, headed by Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, concerning the 450 MW Shongtong-Karcham Power Project, including the directive to the institution to guarantee task completion by the fiscal twelvemonth 2026-27. The tender for the task was awarded successful 2012 but the operation of the task was delayed owed to respective reasons and Chief Minister Sukhu had asked the institution to implicit the task by July 2025. Shongtong Hydroelectric Power Project would make 1,579 cardinal units of energy annually worthy Rs 1,706 crore.