Record 980 compassionate appointments made by government: Himachal CM Sukhu

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh ) [India], January 5 : Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday stated that a record 980 pending compassionate appointment cases have been cleared by the present government, in a significant reform-oriented move under 'Vyavastha Parivartan.'
According to an official release, these appointments, spanning across Class-III JOA (IT) and Class-IV Multi-Task Workers (MTWs) categories, were processed during a special relaxation period from 1st October 2025 to 31st December 2025.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that out of the total 980 such cleared cases, 366 have been appointed to Class-III positions and 614 to Class-IV as MTWs in different departments. The highest number of appointments was made in the Jal Shakti Vibhag, where 419 jobs were given on compassionate grounds, providing relief to the families who were awaiting appointments for a long time.
The release noted that in Jal Shakti, 100 were given appointments as JOA (IT) and 319 in Class-IV. This was followed by the Public Works Department (PWD) with 175 appointments and the Education Department with 128 appointments given. In PWD, 15 were given appointments as JOA (IT) and 160 as MTWs. Similarly, in education, 108 were appointed as JOA (IT) and 20 as class IV.
The Chief Minister, as per the release, emphasised that the state government prioritised these departments to address the largest backlogs and ensure that no family is left in the lurch due to procedural delays.
Reaffirming the government's commitment to every sector, a comprehensive breakdown of the appointments across 19 departments was made as part of the government to provide jobs to the needy.
As many as 75 appointments were made in the Home Department, viz, 52 Class III in the Police and 23 in Home Guards. In the Health & Family Welfare Department, 34 appointments were made, with 23 as class III and 11 as MTWs. In the Ayush department, 14 appointments were made (6 class III and 8 as MTWs). Similarly, in the Agriculture department, nine were given appointments as MTWs, according to the release.
In the Animal Husbandry department, 56 were given appointments, which include 11 as JOAs and 45 as class IV. Apart from this, five were offered jobs in horticulture, four in Prisons, 23 in the fire services (19 as Class III and four as Class IV). In Rural Development, six such appointments were made on compassionate grounds, whereas in the Revenue department, 14 appointments were cleared.
In addition to this, the release stated, four appointments were made in Social Justice and Empowerment (WCD), 20 in urban development, as many as 13 in HPTDC, which includes 12 as MTWs, one each in Tribal development and prosecution and two such appointments were cleared in Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC).
The Chief Minister stated that, "this initiative comes straight from the heart, driven by compassion, to bring immediate financial relief and restore dignity to the families who have long waited, often in pain and uncertainty, for the justice they so rightly deserve."
He also took a strong dig at the previous BJP government for turning a blind eye to the families of deceased government employees who were eligible for compassionate appointments. He said that years of neglect had left these families struggling for justice and basic social security, exposing their suffering to unnecessary delay. He criticised this apathy as "a grave failure of BJP governance and emphasised that his administration was committed to correcting these wrongs, ensuring that deserving families are given timely support and dignity."
The Chief Minister concluded by stating that his government is dedicated to restoring the esteem of those who served the state. He reiterated that this is not just an administrative achievement but a step towards the fulfilment of the promise that the present government stands firmly with the common man in times of grief, the release stated.