The state government is providing pension under the old pension scheme (OPS) to 1.17 lakh of its 1.86 lakh regular employees posted in various departments, who had opted to shift from the New Pension Scheme (NPS). Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu gave this information in a written reply to a question asked by Jaswan-Pragpur MLA Bikram Singh during the Question Hour in the Vidhan Sabha today.
Sukhu said, “The OPS has been implemented in all government departments and as of now, there is no pending liability of pension dues to any retired employee. Since the restoration of the OPS, 12,806 employees had retired from service.” He added that the state government had spent Rs 153.65 crore on the purchase of medicines and various equipment at medical colleges and other health institutions in the current financial year till February 20.
In a written reply to a question asked by Shahpur legislator Kewal Singh Pathania during the Question Hour, the Chief Minister said that of Rs 153.65 crore, Rs 80.37 crore had been spent on purchasing various items at eight medical colleges in Shimla, Super specialty Hospital at Chamiyana (Shimla), Tanda in Kangra, Chamba, Hamirpur, Nahan, Nerchowk (Mandi) and Government Dental College, Shimla. He added that besides, the government had spent Rs 73.27 on purchasing medicines and equipment for the remaining health institutions in the state.
To a question of Dharamsala MLA Sudhir Sharma regarding the total amount provided by the Central Government for setting up the Central University of Himachal Pradesh in Kangra, the state government informed the House that Rs 260.02 crore had been provided for the project till date. “The government has sought the details of the criteria for assessing Rs 30.03 crore as the net present value by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) for the transfer of 57 hectares for the Central University of Himachal Pradesh. Since the assessment seems to be on the higher side, an appropriate decision will be taken,” Sukhu added.
In a written reply to a question of Indora MLA Malendra Rajan, Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said that 1,531 cases of illegal mining had been registered in 2024-25 and Rs 77.96 lakh had been recovered as penalty. Special monitoring teams had been constituted along the inter-state borders and there was a ban on mining from 8 pm to 5 am, he added.
In a written reply to another question asked by the Shahpur MLA, the Chief Minister said that in the past two years, 13 cases of cryptocurrency scam involving Rs 37 crore had been registered till February 20. He added that 80 persons had been arrested and 73 cases were pending in court.
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