Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu chaired a workshop at IGMC Shimla organised on the occasion of International Women’s Day, where women who had performed outstanding work were honoured. During the event, the Chief Minister announced that staff nurses pursuing higher education would now receive their full salary instead of the earlier 40 percent.
He said that the recruitment process for 80 Assistant Professors in the Medical Education Department would begin next month. He said the health sector in the state would witness major improvements within a year and many new employment opportunities would be created in the coming years. He said that the government was rapidly introducing reforms and providing high-end technology in the health sector.
Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that robotic surgery systems and advanced MRI machines were being installed in all medical colleges across the state. He said that the state government wants to end appointments on outsource basis, as it leads to the exploitation of young people.
However, to ensure employment opportunities, new posts of Assistant Staff Nurses would be created along with regular Staff Nurse positions. Recruitment of nurses batch-wise was also being carried out. He further said that the government has established an Overseas Recruitment Department, which keeps a complete track and record of young people going abroad for employment.
The Chief Minister said that International Women’s Day was celebrated on 8th March and the Nursing Scholar Society organised this workshop in Shimla to mark the event. He said that women today were working alongside men in every field.
He said that 57.5 per cent of elected representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions in Himachal Pradesh were women, which was a significant achievement for the state. He said that the daughters of Himachal were continuously progressing and achieving their goals through hard work.
The Chief Minister also spoke about the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), which Himachal Pradesh had been receiving since 1952, but was discontinued by the 16th Finance Commission. He said that RDG was meant for states where there was a gap between income and expenditure. He said that if a state’s budget was reduced by Rs. 10,000 crore every year, one can imagine the impact it would have on the state.
He said that while some leaders claim that 17 states have lost this grant, those states have stronger resources. Himachal Pradesh mainly depends on water resources and forests and does not benefit much from industries.
He said that GST was levied on purchases and because Himachal has a smaller population, the benefits often go to larger states even if products were manufactured in Himachal. As a result, the state’s tax collection has dropped from Rs. 4,000 crore to Rs. 150 crore.
Sh. Sukhu said that Himachal Pradesh should receive 50 percent royalty from power projects so that the people of the state get their rightful share. He also announced a grant of Rs. 5 lakh for the Nursing Scholar Society.
Health Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, MLA Harish Janartha, Secretary Health M. Sudha Devi, Director of Medical Education Dr. Rakesh Sharma, Director of Health Services Dr. Gopal Beri and other senior officials of the Health Department were present on the occasion.