Ensure strict crackdown on illegal mining, drug trafficking: Himachal CM

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday directed officials to take stringent action in cases of drug trafficking and illegal mining in Himachal Pradesh.

He presided over the second day of the conference comprising Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police. The DCs and SPs of Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Kullu, Mandi, Hamirpur and Kangra attended the conference and made detailed presentations.

“The government is contemplating creating a dedicated wing headed by an IG-level officer to intensify action against the drug mafia,” he said. He said the state government was committed to taking every possible step to save the youth from falling prey to drugs. He also recommended community involvement to curb illegal mining.

The CM directed the DCs to review flagship schemes of the state government at the sub-division level and report submit the report by December 31. He said the state government had introduced new performance-based rules for the annual appraisal reports of all DCs and SPs, a shift from the previous descriptive grading system to a numerical grading approach for officer assessments.

He directed them to expedite FCA clearances to facilitate the timely implementation of various development projects for public benefit. He emphasised that any delay in processing FCA cases would lead to accountability measures for the responsible officers.

He further said the government was actively working to strengthen the rural economy and Himachal had become the first state in the country to fix the minimum support price (MSP) for milk. Additionally, MSPs had been offered for crops produced through natural farming, he said.

He also instructed the DCs to identify suitable land for solar projects as part of an initiative to establish green panchayats throughout the state.

Sukhu said the state government had adopted 6,000 orphan children as ‘Children of the state’. He instructed the DCs to provide counselling to orphans who had attained the age of 18, informing them about the various provisions of the Mukhyamantri Sukhashray Yojana so that they could fully benefit from it.

To address the problem of stray animals, Sukhu asked them to identify land for constructing cow shelters at district headquarters. He emphasised that stray animals posed a hazard on roads, leading to accidents and creating challenges for farmers and directed district administrations to prioritize this issue.

Sukhu asked the officials to promote tourism activities in their districts, as this remained a top priority for the government. “The state government is focusing on tourism, hydropower, data storage and food processing sectors, with a strong commitment to promoting green industries in Himachal Pradesh,” he added.

Principal Adviser to CM Ram Subhag Singh, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Director General of Police Atul Verma, administrative secretaries and various heads of departments also attended the conference.