Himachal to Hold Jan Samvad Drives for Ultra-Poor Families from August 6

The Himachal Pradesh government will organise block-level Jan Samvad programmes under the 'Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana' from August 6 to 8, with the objective of reaching the state's most vulnerable families and ensuring they receive the benefits of welfare schemes.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while reviewing the functioning of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, said the outreach campaign would strengthen direct engagement between the government and economically disadvantaged households across the state.

According to the chief minister, each programme will be chaired by the concerned MLA and organised through clusters comprising up to 10 gram panchayats. Families identified as the poorest of the poor by the Rural Development Department will be invited to participate in these interactions.

The discussions will focus on socio-economic development, access to welfare benefits and identifying challenges faced by vulnerable households. Feedback collected during the Jan Samvad events will help the government formulate targeted interventions and improve the implementation of welfare programmes at the grassroots level.

Sukhu said an extensive eight-phase survey conducted by the department had identified nearly 1.78 lakh ultra-poor families across Himachal Pradesh. The exercise, he said, was designed to ensure that deserving households are not left out of government support.

Highlighting a major concern, the chief minister said around 85,000 of the poorest families had never been included in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and, as a result, had remained outside the ambit of state welfare schemes for years.

He asserted that the identification process was carried out with complete transparency and integrity, with officers made fully accountable to maintain the credibility of the survey. The government, Sukhu added, is committed to ensuring that every eligible family receives its rightful entitlements and that no deserving household remains excluded from development initiatives. The Jan Samvad campaign is expected to strengthen grassroots governance while making welfare delivery more responsive, inclusive and accountable across rural Himachal.