CM addresses Panchayat Chowkidar's Conference

SHIMLA 31 August, 2026

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu addressed a conference organised by the Panchayat Chowkidar’s Union at Chaura Maidan in Shimla today. He said that the state government was taking a sympathetic approach towards the long-pending demands of panchayat chowkidars.

The Chief Minister said that the state government had decided to regularize the services of panchayat chowkidars who had completed the required period of service. He said the government had always remained sensitive to the interests and welfare of panchayat chowkidars.

He said that in the budget for the current financial year, the government had decided to increase the honorarium of panchayat chowkidars. With an increase of Rs. 500, they are now being paid Rs. 9,000 per month.

The Chief Minister said that the state government was working with the aim of empowering weaker sections of the society. He said that long-term decisions were being taken and implemented to ensure that all sections of society benefited from the state’s resources. Necessary amendments were also being made to rules and laws to simplify government procedures.

He said that the present state government had closed the loopholes that allowed corruption and had saved more than Rs. 3,000 crore. Referring to Himachal Pradesh’s rightful share in hydropower projects, the Chief Minister said that the state would take control of its resources within its area of authority and move towards self-reliance.

Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government’s decision to provide the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to government employees had been taken from a social, rather than a political, perspective. He said that the BJP was planning to discontinue the OPS.

The Chief Minister said that the state government was taking several steps to strengthen the rural economy. Natural farming was being promoted across the state. He said that the government was providing a minimum support price of Rs. 80 per kg for wheat, Rs. 50 per kg for maize and Rs. 150 per kg for raw turmeric produced through natural farming.

In addition, the government was providing a support price of Rs. 61 per litre for cow’s milk and Rs. 71 per litre for buffalo’s milk.

INTUC Vice-President Puran Chand and State President of the Panchayat Chowkidars’ Union (INTUC) Prem Vardhan also addressed the conference.