Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu chaired the 50th meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Tribal Advisory Council in Shimla on Friday, unveiling a series of initiatives aimed at boosting livelihood opportunities, strengthening connectivity, and accelerating development in the state’s tribal regions.
He announced that the government would provide up to a 40 per cent subsidy to eligible youth for purchasing buses and traveller vehicles in tribal areas, along with a four-month exemption from road tax. The move, he said, was aimed at creating sustainable employment through the transport sector. To further promote self-employment, particularly in the renewable energy sector, the government would extend interest subsidies for establishing private solar power projects ranging from 250 kW to one MW in tribal belts.
The Chief Minister instructed officers to complete the tendering process for development works in snow-bound regions before the onset of winter so that construction activities could begin by March or April once weather conditions improve. He said the state government was also working to permanently resolve power supply issues in Pangi and Spiti, with solar power plants of 1.2 MW at Dhanwas (Pangi) and 2 MW at Rong-tong (Spiti) expected to become functional soon.
Sukhu said efforts were underway to open the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route via Shipki-La, and the matter had been strongly taken up with the Central Government. Steps were also being initiated to resume traditional trade with Tibet. Owing to the government’s continued efforts, he said, tribal regions have witnessed unprecedented progress. These areas today reflect higher prosperity compared to other parts of the state, with per capita income and key social indicators surpassing the state average. The male-female sex ratio was also healthier in tribal districts.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting women’s rights in tribal belts. Announcing a new road at Nigulsari, the major bottleneck on NH-5, prone to sinking and landslides, he said efforts were being intensified to ensure seamless connectivity in Kinnaur. Approving pending Nautor cases in tribal areas, he added, was among the government’s priorities, with the Cabinet having already cleared the proposal and forwarded it to the Governor.
Under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, around 1,039 land titles had been distributed till September 2025. The construction of a Tribal Bhawan in Rampur for the convenience of Kinnaur and Spiti residents was underway, while the Nurpur Tribal Bhawan would be dedicated to the public soon. Pangi Valley had been declared the state’s first Natural Farming Subdivision, and the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh-Samman Nidhi Yojna was launched in Spiti in February 2024.
Sukhu said the state had ensured adequate educational and health infrastructure in tribal areas, including regional and civil hospitals, CHCs, PHCs, Ayurvedic facilities, veterinary institutions, and extensive road networks, 61 per cent of which were paved. He directed officers to maintain strict accountability, warning that negligence in tribal development would not be tolerated.
Horticulture and Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi said Rs 638.73 crore had been allocated for the Tribal Area Development Programme for 2025-26. He said delays in setting up new campuses for Eklavya Model Residential Schools in Pangi, Bharmour, and Lahaul due to land issues had been resolved, and construction was underway. Additional residential facilities at the EMRS in Nichar were also coming up, he added.