Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said Himachal Pradesh would earn Rs 400 crore over the next four months by selling electricity to Rajasthan at Rs 15.50 per unit. He described the agreement as a significant step towards strengthening the state’s financial position and making it economically self-reliant.

Addressing a public meeting at Banjaraadu Kala Manch in Churah Assembly constituency of Chamba district, Sukhu announced that four senior secondary schools at Himgiri, Thalli, Jajjakothi and Maroond would be affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

He said the government was taking concrete measures to strengthen the state’s economy and eliminate avenues for corruption. The state had also strongly pursued with the Centre its demand to increase Himachal’s free power share in the 180-MW Baira-Siul Hydroelectric Project to 50 per cent after the completion of 44 years of its operation.

Highlighting the government’s legal victory in the Wildflower Hall case, Sukhu said the matter had remained pending since 2003, but the state had secured a favourable outcome, resulting in a recovery of Rs 401 crore. The property, he said, would now generate approximately Rs 37 crore in annual revenue through e-auctioning. The state had not received any revenue from it for the past 23 years.

Sukhu said his government had accorded priority to strengthening the rural economy by introducing minimum support prices of Rs 150 per kg for raw turmeric, Rs 80 for wheat and Rs 50 for maize. The procurement price had also been fixed at Rs 61 per litre for cow’s milk and Rs 71 for buffalo milk.

On education, he said the government was establishing Rajiv Gandhi Government Model Day-Boarding Schools, CBSE-affiliated institutions and centres of excellence, besides recruiting teachers on merit. More than 2,700 teachers had been recruited, while over 100 new CBSE-affiliated schools were proposed across the state.

Taking a swipe at the previous BJP government, Sukhu alleged that it had opened several educational and health institutions without providing adequate staff. His government, he said, had rationalised institutions and filled thousands of vacant teaching posts.

MLA Neeraj Nayyar, former minister Asha Kumari, former MLA Surender Bhardwaj and Zila Parishad chairperson Rekha Thakur were among those present.