Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday clarified that the recent government notification regarding certain posts had been misinterpreted.

Speaking to media persons, he said that the information circulating on social media about the abolition of certain posts was false propaganda.

“There are numerous posts in various government departments that have been non-functional for years. The designations of those posts are being changed on the basis of current requirements. Currently, JOA (IT) positions are being created and filled in place of Clerk Typist posts. These positions are not being abolished; their designations are simply being changed after completing the necessary formalities,” Sukhu said.

The CM said that the Finance Department issued a letter to various departments in this regard on 23rd October 2024.

He added that new posts are being created to replace long-vacant positions in various departments that no longer hold relevance.

Sukhu said, “The present state government has created 2,511 posts in various departments, and 16,592 positions are currently being filled. In total, the process of filling 19,103 posts is underway. This includes 268 posts in the Education Department, 1,623 in the Health and Family Welfare Department, 442 in the Home Department, 85 in the Jal Shakti Department, 64 in the Public Works Department, and 29 in the Revenue Department.”

He added that hundreds of posts are being filled in other departments, including 5,861 in the Education Department, 1,056 in the Health Department, 1,482 in the Home Department, 2,266 in the Forest Department, 4,701 in the Jal Shakti Department, 299 in the Public Works Department, and 927 in the Revenue Department.

The Chief Minister said that changing designations and creating new posts is an ongoing departmental process, which departments carry out from time to time.

He noted that the current government has consistently recruited and created new posts throughout its 22-month tenure. During this period, the results of many pending examinations for various postcodes were declared, providing employment opportunities for the youth.