Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], February 7 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday held discussions with legislators from Shimla and Kangra districts during the second and final session of the two-day meeting convened to determine the priorities of MLAs for the financial year 2026-27.

The Chief Minister said that the present State Government was laying special emphasis on health, education, the rural economy, tourism, energy, food processing and data storage.

He stated that the government has taken several path-breaking decisions to strengthen the rural economy. 'Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to offer the highest minimum support price for milk and naturally grown wheat, barley, maize and turmeric.'

'He said that these measures would significantly strengthen the rural economy and bring about a marked improvement in the standard of living of rural residents,' as per a release.

Referring to a recent national survey, the Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh has made remarkable progress in providing quality education, securing the 5th position among states after ranking 21st in 2021, thereby surpassing 16 states.

He added that the government was equipping health institutions with advanced medical technology to provide specialized healthcare services. 'Robotic surgery facilities have already been started AIMSS Chamyana and Tanda medical college in the state and this facility would soon be extended to all medical colleges for the benefit of patients.'

CM Sukhu further said that the government has undertaken investor-friendly reform initiatives to promote industrial development, as a result of which Himachal Pradesh has been recognized as a 'Top Achiever State' under the 'Business Reform Action Plan-2024' of the Union Government.

He added that the state was emerging as a progressive leader in digital innovation, with increased adoption of digitization and e-filing in government functioning. For its outstanding achievement in citizen-centric digital service delivery, Himachal Pradesh has been honoured with the 'People First Integration Award.'

'He said that according to the 2025 report prepared in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, Himachal Pradesh has achieved an average Human Development Index of 0.78, which was significantly higher than the National average of 0.63. This, he said, reflects that even a hill state with limited resources can achieve substantial progress through sound policies and active public participation,' the release added

The Chief Minister urged the legislators to submit their development priorities in the prescribed format to the Planning Department at the earliest so that these could be incorporated in the budget for the financial year 2026-27.

He also directed officers to resolve the issues raised by the MLAs on a priority basis. He called upon the legislators to extend their active cooperation to make the state government's 'Chitta-Free Himachal' campaign a success. (ANI)