Himachal Pradesh CM honours ex-servicemen in police force, completes self-enumeration for Census 2027

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday honoured ex-servicemen serving in the State police force after the government granted honorary placements to hundreds of former armed forces personnel and later completed his self-enumeration under the Census-2027 digital exercise.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday honoured ex-servicemen serving in the State police force after the government granted honorary placements to hundreds of former armed forces personnel and later completed his self-enumeration under the Census-2027 digital exercise. At a function held at Oak Over in Shimla, the Chief Minister participated in the piping ceremony of Head Constable Sudhir Sharma and Constable Ravi Dutt. The state government has recently granted honorary placement to 246 ex-servicemen as Head Constables and 115 as Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) in the police department.

Addressing the gathering, Sukhu said the government deeply values the experience, discipline and dedication that ex-servicemen bring to the police force. He said that under existing provisions, police personnel require 20 years of service to be considered for placement as honorary Head Constables and 32 years for honorary ASIs. However, ex-servicemen who join the police force after serving in the armed forces often do not have sufficient service tenure left to qualify. To address this issue, the government has relaxed the eligibility service period for ex-servicemen, enabling them to receive honorary placement as Head Constables and ASIs, he said.

Speaking to reporters after the programme, Sukhu said, "Those who have already served the nation in the armed forces and later joined the police department have now been given due upgradation. Constables have been placed as Head Constables and Head Constables as ASIs. This is recognition of their service and contribution." The Chief Minister also highlighted another decision extending legal protection to police personnel. Referring to provisions under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

He said, "Earlier, such protection was available only to senior police officers. We have now extended it to personnel working in the field. If any complaint is filed against actions taken during a lawful investigation, prior government sanction will be required before prosecution, providing them protection while performing their duties." Commenting on recruitment under the Agnipath scheme, Sukhu said the scheme had adversely affected recruitment patterns in Himachal Pradesh, a state known for its strong tradition of military service.

"Earlier, our youth would join the armed forces and serve the nation for long periods. Now, many return after four years. To provide opportunities, we have reserved positions for Agniveers, and recruitment is underway in the police department. Around 1,200 recruits are currently undergoing training," he said. Later in the day, the Chief Minister completed his self-enumeration through the online portal under the Census-2027 self-enumeration drive. Director of Census Operations, Himachal Pradesh, Deep Shikha Sharma, briefed him on the digital census process.

Appealing to citizens to participate actively, Sukhu urged people to complete self-enumeration by June 15, 2026. He said the Census serves as the foundation for democratic governance and development planning by providing critical information about population, housing and access to public services. The Chief Minister said the first phase of Census-2027 in Himachal Pradesh, comprising House Listing and Housing Census, will be conducted from June 16 to July 15, 2026, while population enumeration in snowbound areas will take place from September 11 to 30, 2026. In the rest of the state, population enumeration will be carried out from February 9 to 28, 2027.

Speaking to reporters after completing self-enumeration, Sukhu said, "The first phase of the census process has begun. Citizens who own houses can also complete self-enumeration online. Enumerators will also visit households, and people should provide accurate information regarding housing, vehicles and other amenities so that correct data is available for planning and development." Health and Family Welfare Minister Ret. Col. Dhani Ram Shandil, MLA Kamlesh Thakur and other senior officials were present on the occasion. (ANI)