Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 30 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday evening chaired a review meeting of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department here. During the meeting, the state government's flagship initiative 'Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana' was reviewed in detail.

According to an official release, the Chief Minister said that the state government would organise Jan Samvad programmes under the 'Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana' on August 6, 7, and 8, 2026. These programmes would be held at the block level and chaired by the respective MLAs. Clusters of Gram Panchayats would be formed for the purpose, with each cluster comprising a maximum of ten Gram Panchayats.

CM Sukhu said that the poorest of poor families identified by the Rural Development Department from all Gram Panchayats across the state would be invited to participate in these programmes.

The discussions would focus on their socio-economic development and welfare through various government schemes and programmes. Based on the feedback received during these interactions, the state government would formulate targeted interventions and ensure their effective implementation at the grassroots level.

The Chief Minister said that nearly 1.78 lakh ultra-poor families had been identified through the Rural Development department following an extensive eight-phase survey. He said that the government's objective was to ensure that every deserving family received the benefits of welfare schemes, particularly those who had remained deprived of their rightful entitlements.

He added that around 85,000 poorest of poor families in the state had never been included in the BPL category and had not received the benefits of any state government welfare scheme.

CM Sukhu said that the 'Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana' was announced in the state budget for the current financial year and was now being implemented in line with its objectives. He said that the state government was committed to extending comprehensive support to these identified families. By improving their economic condition, the government aimed to enhance their quality of life while contributing to the overall prosperity and economic growth of the state.

The Chief Minister said that the survey for identifying the poorest of the poor families had been conducted with complete transparency and integrity. He added that the officers concerned had been made fully accountable to ensure the credibility of the entire process.

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, Secretary to the Chief Minister, Rakesh Kanwar, Secretary Rural Development and Panchayati Raj C Paulrasu, Director Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Raghav Sharma, Director Digital Technologies and Governance Nipun Jindal and other senior officers were present in the meeting, a release added. (ANI)