Himachal CM Sukhu announces to set up ‘Rajya Chayan Aayog’ in place of now-dissolved HPSSC
Hamirpur, September 4
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday launched the Mukhya Mantri Sporting Abilities, Rebuilding Aspirations and Livelihood Scheme (SABAL) from his home assembly segment Nadaun in this district.
The chief minister also announced to set up a ‘Rajya Chayan Aayog’ in place of the now-dissolved Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission in Hamirpur within the next two months to ensure fairness in the selection criteria of candidates.
The SABAL scheme intends to take care of specially-abled children in around 400 schools across Hamirpur, Solan and Shimla districts.
Sukhu said the Sabal Yojana is aimed at improving the lives of specially-abled children in the state. The initiative focuses on providing essential facilities and opportunities for them, a statement issued here said.
He said the state government has made a provision of two per cent reservation in government jobs for specially-abled individuals and the recruitment process for this, was set to commence on a mission mode shortly.
Simultaneously, Sukhu launched ‘Abhyas Himachal’ and ‘Shikshak Sahayata’ chatbots, accessible via the Swift Chat app, offering ease similar to WhatsApp and powered by conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI).
These chatbots will enable students to revise lessons at their convenience, from any location from their mobile phones. This facility features a quiz-based format and provides educational videos that can be utilized by both students and teachers to enhance the learning and teaching experience in the classroom as well.
He also launched “Sampark Science TV Programme,” designed to transform ordinary TVs into Smart TVs. This innovation aims to enhance children’s learning experiences, especially in subjects like mathematics and English. The device comes preloaded with educational materials, eliminating the need for an internet connection.
The chief minister announced to set up ‘Rajya Chayan Aayog’ in place of the Staff Selection Commission in Hamirpur within the next two months.
He said the government is committed to bringing transparency and ensuring a merit-based selection process. During the tenure of the previous BJP government, the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (HPSSC) had become the hub of corruption selling question papers, he alleged.
He said 6,000 teachers will be recruited through this new commission soon and the state government would conduct examinations for recruitment of more than 10,000 people this year.
The HPSSC was dissolved in February 2023, two months after the paper leak was unearthed on December 23, 2022 when the vigilance arrested senior assistant of commission Uma Azad with solved question paper and Rs 2.5 lakh in cash. So far no new commission has been constituted.
Senior Congress leader and two times MLA from Sujanpur assembly seat, Rajinder Rana has expressed serious concern over delay in recruitments in government jobs on Saturday and drawn the attention of the chief minister over brewing discontent among youths waiting for jobs.
In a letter shot to the chief minister on Saturday, which was also posted on Facebook, Rana had said “results of interviews are withheld and the applicants who have cleared the tests are impatient and requested to reactivate the commission by appointing honest members to restart the selection process”.
Sukhu also criticised the opposition for the state’s fiscal health condition and said despite massive damage during the monsoon, incurring losses of more than Rs 12,000 crore, the state BJP leaders have failed to take up the issue of financial assistance from its central leadership.
There was a huge loss to both public and private property due to floods, landslides and cloudbursts including loss of human lives and livestock but despite the present government’s plea to declare the tragedy as a national calamity, the central government has given a deaf ear to it, he claimed.
