Compensation for completely damaged houses raised from ₹1.3 lakh to ₹7 lakh; forest conservation scheme and municipal reforms also approved
Shimla — In a significant decision aimed at supporting disaster-affected families, the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Monday approved a special relief package, sharply increasing compensation across various categories.
As per the new package, the compensation for a completely damaged house has been raised from ₹1.30 lakh to ₹7 lakh — more than a fivefold increase. Similarly, compensation for a partially damaged house has been hiked from ₹12,500 to ₹1 lakh. Owners of damaged shops and dhabas will now receive ₹1 lakh, up from the earlier ₹10,000, while financial assistance for damaged cowsheds has increased from ₹10,000 to ₹50,000.
The Cabinet also approved financial assistance of ₹50,000 for tenants who lost household belongings and ₹70,000 for house owners for similar loss. For livestock losses, the compensation per large milch animal has been raised from ₹37,500 to ₹55,000, and for goats, pigs, sheep, and lambs, from ₹4,000 to ₹9,000 per animal.
The relief measures further include ₹25,000 for fully damaged poly-houses, ₹50,000 for house de-silting, ₹10,000 per bigha for agriculture and horticulture losses (up from ₹3,900), ₹6,000 per bigha for de-silting farmland (previously ₹1,500), and ₹3,000 per bigha for crop loss (up from ₹500).
New Schemes and Approvals
The Cabinet approved the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojna, a ₹100 crore community-driven forest conservation program to be implemented over five years. Community organisations like Mahila Mandals, Yuvak Mandals, and Self-Help Groups will be eligible for up to ₹1.20 lakh per hectare for plantation efforts, with additional incentives tied to sapling survival rates.
The Himachal Pradesh Municipal Election Rules, 2015 were also amended to streamline procedures. Changes include introducing a uniform format for ward publication, transferring the authority to notify election programmes from Deputy Commissioners to the State Election Commission, and setting limits on changes to electoral rolls once elections are notified. Nominated members will now be able to take oath of allegiance alongside elected members.
To strengthen medical education, the Cabinet gave ex-post approval for increasing seats in paramedical courses. B.Sc. MLT, Radiology & Imaging, and Anaesthesia & OT Technique seats have been raised from 10 to 50 at IGMC, Shimla, and from 18 to 50 at RPGMC, Tanda.
It also approved land allotment to Milkfed for setting up a milk processing plant at Mehandali in Rohru, Shimla.
