Himachal to bring law ensuring 25% reservation for women in Class-III recruitment, says CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday (March 8, 2026) said that the State Government would introduce a law guaranteeing 25% reservation for women in recruitment to Class-III government posts.

He was presiding over the State-level International Women’s Day function held at Nahan in Sirmaur district.

Asserting that the Congress Government is committed to strengthening women’s participation in policing and other public services, the Chief Minister said a special recruitment drive for women sub-inspectors would be undertaken in the Police Department.

The Chief Minister said women’s welfare remains the State Government’s top priority, with women at the heart of every policy initiative.

“The government has ensured equal rights for daughters in ancestral property up to 150 bighas, giving them rights equal to sons. Under Mukhyamantri Sukh Shiksha Yojana, the State Government bears the cost of higher education for children of widowed women. The entire administrative leadership of Lahaul-Spiti district is currently in the hands of women, and the Deputy Commissioners of Sirmaur and Hamirpur districts are also women officers,” he said.

He added that 30% reservation has already been provided to women in police recruitment and the government is considering providing a monthly pension of ₹1,500 to women in the State from next year.

Taking a dig at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), the Chief Minister said February 1, 2026, would remain a “black day” in the history of Himachal Pradesh, as the Central Government stopped the ₹10,000 crore annual RDG assistance to the State. “Himachal is a small State with limited sources of income. Despite providing water to northern India, irrigating the fields of Punjab and preserving forests, the State’s rights have often been overlooked,” he said.

Mr. Sukhu said he had offered to go to Delhi along with BJP leaders to raise the State’s concerns, but they did not effectively take up the issue. “The people of Himachal Pradesh will have to fight for their rights with determination,” he added.