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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said the ideas and policies of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi continue to inspire his government's work. He highlighted initiatives related to education, natural farming, women’s empowerment and the rural economy.

 

Sukhu was speaking to reporters after paying tribute to Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary. He also took part in a programme where the Sadbhavana pledge was administered. The Chief Minister appealed to people to observe the day as Sadbhavana Diwas and remembered Rajiv Gandhi's role in promoting national unity and integrity.

 

He said Rajiv Gandhi gave his life for the country and was the second Prime Minister after Independence to die while in office.

 

Sukhu said one of Rajiv Gandhi’s important democratic decisions was reducing the voting age from 21 to 18 years. He said this gave young people a bigger role in choosing their representatives and governments.

 

The Chief Minister also spoke about Rajiv Gandhi's contribution to increasing women’s participation in politics through reservations in local bodies. He said women now make up nearly 54 per cent of representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions in Himachal Pradesh, calling it a major social change.

 

On education, Sukhu said the state government is setting up around 68 Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools. He said these schools would be developed as model government institutions, while government schools would also receive additional funding from the next financial year. He said Rajiv Gandhi’s focus on quality education could also be seen in the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. According to Sukhu, the system helped children from economically weaker families gain access to better educational opportunities.

The Chief Minister said the day-boarding school initiative would also focus on providing nutritious meals to children studying in government schools. Sukhu said the Rajiv Gandhi Natural Farming Scheme was launched to improve farmers' earnings and strengthen the rural economy.

Under the scheme, he said farmers are being paid ₹80 per kg for wheat, ₹50 per kg for maize, ₹30 per kg for ginger and around ₹150 per kg for turmeric. He clarified that these rates are being offered by the Himachal Pradesh government under its natural farming programme and are not linked to any scheme of the Central government.

Referring to a recent visit to Hamirpur, Sukhu said the government purchased wheat from farmers at ₹80 per kg and transferred nearly ₹23 lakh directly into their bank accounts. He also said North India’s first laboratory for testing natural farming produce has been established in Hamirpur. The facility will help scientifically verify whether agricultural products have been grown through natural or conventional methods.

 

Speaking about the Congress Working Committee meeting, Sukhu said several issues were discussed. He said the party would now prepare its strategy and programmes before taking them to the people.

 

On Himachal’s pending claims and other matters with the Centre, Sukhu said he would visit Delhi after the Assembly session to follow up on the state's financial and other legitimate demands.

 

He also mentioned the pending matters related to the Bhakra Beas Management Board and the Kishau Dam project. He said a favourable decision could bring significant financial benefits to the state.

 

Sukhu said Himachal could receive an additional ₹1,500 crore every year if its claims are accepted. He added that the state has been fighting the matter for nearly 15 years.

 

The Chief Minister said a team of senior lawyers has been formed to pursue the case. He maintained that Himachal's water resources should primarily benefit the people of the state while also serving Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan.

 

On the Monsoon Session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly beginning Friday, Sukhu said the 10-day sitting would be the longest Monsoon Session held in the state in nearly 20 years.

 

He accused the Opposition of avoiding discussions through walkouts and protests. Sukhu urged BJP legislators, especially Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, to take part in debates and present their arguments with facts.

 

“Come forward and speak openly. We will give you enough time,” Sukhu said. He added that the Opposition was free to walk out or sit in the visitors' gallery, but should not stop the government from presenting its side.

 

He said the government had documentary proof on several issues and would place the facts before the public through a proposed White Paper.

 

According to Sukhu, the purpose of the White Paper is to explain how public resources were allegedly misused in the past and why such decisions were taken. He said the government had been elected for a five-year term and had a responsibility to safeguard the state's resources. Ultimately, he said, the people would decide how the government had performed.

Rejecting allegations of political vendetta, Sukhu said action was being taken to protect public resources and not to target people because of their political links. “If someone has misused or looted the state’s resources, cases cannot be ignored simply because that person belongs to a particular political background,” he said.

Referring to ongoing investigations and alleged irregularities, Sukhu said more documentary evidence would come to light. He reiterated the government's commitment to tackling corruption. He also referred to alleged irregularities involving bills for hysterectomy procedures and questioned how such bills could have been generated in the names of male patients.

The Chief Minister also addressed concerns related to social media, news portals and the spread of misinformation. He said journalists had every right to criticise the government but urged them to ensure that reports were based on facts and did not create a false or misleading impression.

 

Sukhu said action had been taken against some web-based platforms under the law. However, he maintained that the government was not responsible for every FIR registered against an individual or digital platform. He also raised concerns about what he described as the misuse of mobile phones and social media for blackmail.

“Express your views against the government, but do it honestly and on the basis of facts,” he said. On recruitment, Sukhu said his government had acted against those allegedly involved in paper leaks. He said the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission in Hamirpur was dissolved after irregularities were detected.

He said people accused of selling examination papers had been sent to jail. Sukhu claimed the government did not bow to any pressure while pursuing action in these cases.

 

The Chief Minister said recruitment was now being carried out on a large scale. He added that the government would present a detailed account of recruitments in December.

 

He said no paper leak had been reported in recent recruitment examinations. Sukhu referred to education-related recruitments, batch-wise appointments and Assistant Staff Nurse examinations as examples.

 

The government also plans to reduce its dependence on outsourced staff, especially in the health and education sectors, Sukhu said. He added that the SMC system would eventually be phased out by increasing the number of regular teacher appointments.

 

Sukhu said the government had also changed the recruitment process of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission. Written examination marks would now be considered along with interview marks while preparing the final merit list.

 

He said that earlier, written examination marks were not included in the final assessment, while interview marks were counted. According to him, this could put candidates who performed well in written tests at a disadvantage.

 

“Now, marks from both the written examination and personal interview will be considered while preparing the final merit list,” he said, adding that the new system would reduce the scope for recommendations and favouritism.

 

Sukhu said the same method had been adopted for recruiting doctors and candidates for other posts. Final merit, he said, would be decided by combining performance in the written examination and interview.

 

The Chief Minister also targeted the BJP over its social media campaign. He alleged that certain platforms were being sponsored to circulate negative content about his government, adding that the state government would continue to respond with facts and documentary evidence.