Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced the opening of a civil court at Chowari in Chamba district on Tuesday, along with Rs 10 crore for road projects and the launch of a monthly assistance scheme for eligible women from poor families.
The announcements were made at a public meeting at Chowari Chowgan in the Bhatiyat assembly constituency. Sukhu also announced that CBSE-affiliated schools would be opened in the area based on local demands, adding education and judicial access to the list of measures proposed for the constituency.
Under the Mukhyamantri Ka Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana, which the chief minister said would be launched from next month, eligible women from poor families will receive financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month. Beneficiaries will also receive 300 units of free electricity every month and free medical treatment through health insurance cards, according to the chief minister’s announcement.
Sukhu said around 20,000 women from 10,000 eligible families in the Bhatiyat constituency would benefit from the scheme. The announcement places household support alongside public infrastructure commitments, although the report does not specify the scheme’s detailed eligibility process, application procedure or disbursement mechanism.
The chief minister said Rs 10 crore would be provided for various road projects in the constituency. The announcement did not identify the individual road stretches, project-wise allocations, construction agencies or completion timelines. These details will determine how the proposed funding translates into improved connectivity for residents in the hilly constituency.
Sukhu also said the state government was providing minimum support prices of Rs 150 per kg for raw turmeric, Rs 80 per kg for wheat and Rs 50 per kg for maize. The government was offering Rs 61 per litre for cow milk and Rs 71 per litre for buffalo milk, which he described as nearly double the earlier rates.
On healthcare, the chief minister said Rs 190 crore had been allocated for the functioning of Chamba Medical College and that the college had been provided 32 postgraduate seats. He said the state government was pursuing reforms to extend access to advanced medical facilities in rural areas.
The chief minister also said the previous government had opened several health and educational institutions without ensuring adequate staff. He said the present government had rationalised educational institutions, filled thousands of vacant teaching posts and recruited more than 2,700 teachers on merit.
According to Sukhu, at least two or three CBSE-affiliated schools had been opened in every Vidhan Sabha segment and more than 100 schools were being upgraded to the CBSE pattern. He said teaching staff posts for these schools had already been advertised. He further claimed that Himachal Pradesh ranked fifth in providing quality education in 2025, compared with 21st in 2021.
The public meeting also observed a two-minute silence for Nand Lal, an MLA and chairperson of the 7th State Finance Commission who died on Tuesday, and Youth Congress functionary Chandermani Kulethi, who died in a recent incident.
