Himachal Pradesh Cabinet has allowed engaging women workers in shops and commercial establishments to work in night shift from 7.00 pm to 7.00 am in the state and grant maternity benefits to every working woman in such establishments as prescribed under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
The decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday at Shimla presided over by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
It allowed cancellation of 172 small hydro projects below 5 MW under HIMURJA, where construction work had been stalled for an extended period .It was further decided to apply a uniform free power royalty of 12 percent along with an additional one percent for the Local Area Development Fund for all hydro projects up to 5 MW in future.
The Cabinet gave its approval to cancel 22 hydroelectric projects above 5 MW, where implementation agreements have not been signed previously allotted by the Directorate of Energy, for the rest of the projects reply for notices has been allowed up to August 5, 2025.
It also decided to increase the number of B.Sc. Nursing seats at Sister Nivedita Government Nursing College, Shimla from 60 to 100. and establish a new B.Sc. Nursing College with an annual intake of 60 seats at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra .
The Cabinet approved extension of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the State Government and Alliance Air Aviation Ltd. for operating flights on the Shimla–Dharamshala–Shimla route. The MoU will now remain in effect from July 1st 2025 to June 30 , 2026.
