Shimla, Sept. 3 -- The Himachal Pradesh government to develop ropeways under public-private partnership (PPP) and externally aided project (EAP) modes as high costs involved are creating difficulties in advancing several projects, said chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday on the ninth day of the ongoing monsoon session. The reply came in response to the question raised by Congress MLA from Arki, Sajay Awasthy, regarding the status and cost of ropeway projects in the state, private investment, and the connectivity of tourist destinations via ropeways. In response, the CM said, "The government intends to connect all tourist destinations with ropeways, but the associated costs are quite high." He said, "Establishing ropeways is a priority for our government. Private entities interested in setting them up are encouraged to come forward." Sukhu mentioned that efforts had been made to plan a ropeway for Shimla as well. However, the tender assessment estimated the cost at approximately Rs.2,700 crore but due to this high cost, the project could not proceed and was cancelled. He said that the proposal to adopt PPP and EAP modes was discussed in the previous cabinet meeting. "The government is considering a framework to limit the tenure of PPP-based ropeway projects to between 30 and 35 years," Sukhu said emphasising the government's aim to connect areas with limited accessibility through ropeways, with a specific focus on linking hitherto untapped regions that hold tourism potential. Earlier, in response to the question, industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan clarified that no ropeway project in the state has been sanctioned or is under construction using loans or assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He said that there are six ropeway projects in the state being executed under the PPP mode. BJP MLAs seeks status of ropeway projects BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma inquired about the status of the Himani Chamunda ropeway project and asked whether the government was considering a plan to connect Kyori with Billing. The CM explained that the Usha company had undertaken both the Shimla and Himani Chamunda projects, but the matter dragged on for four years without any actual work being done. Himachal Pradesh State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026 passed despite opposition The assembly passed the Himachal Pradesh State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026, with voice vote despite opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sukhu said that the bill aims to bring transparency in the appointments of universities of Himachal Pradesh. "The government has changed the recruitment system in universities to ensure appointments are made transparently on merit, ending the scope for political interference and recommendations," said Sukhu. He said that the universities will be able to appoint only professors and associate professors and all other appointments will be made through the Public Service Commission and Selection Commission. Sukhu said that this will bring transparency in the recruitments for government jobs in universities and no rigging will be done, as happened in the recruitments done during the previous government. Sukhu appealed to the BJP to support the new legislation and accused the opposition party of indulging in "politics of power and the chair." The assembly also passed, by a voice vote, an amendment to the 2007 Act governing the use of roads and facilities for pedestrians in Shimla. Additionally, the Himachal Pradesh Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill was passed. The CM moved both bills in the House, and they were subsequently passed by a voice vote. CPI(M) opposes bill to transfer university teachers' recruitment to HPPSC Communist Party of India (Marxist) opposed the proposed legislation seeking to transfer the power to recruit teachers in state universities, including Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), from the universities to the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC), saying the move would weaken academic autonomy rather than address alleged recruitment irregularities. CPI(M) state secretary Sanjay Chauhan said the government should instead order an independent, time-bound judicial inquiry into the recruitment of 186 teachers at HPU between 2020 and 2023 and fix responsibility wherever violations of rules are established. Teachers' body protest proposal to end university autonomy The Himachal Pradesh University Teachers' Welfare Association (HPUTWA) staged a protest outside the House against the bill seeking to alter the recruitment process in six universities by mandating that teacher appointments be conducted through the Public Service Commission. Addressing the gathering, HPUTWA president Nitin Vyas said, "The bill is a move that undermines the autonomy, institutional identity, and academic freedom of the universities. Recruitment is a crucial component of university autonomy, and placing it under external control poses a serious threat to the future of these institutions." Govt trying to control universities: LoP Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur accused the state government of attempting to bring state universities under its "effective control" through the amendment bill, alleging that the move would undermine university autonomy. "CM Sukhu wants to run the universities like departments of the government. He wants everything to remain under his control," Thakur alleged. He said universities were not funded solely through state government grants and also received grants from the University Grants Commission (UGC) and generated their own resources. '98k applied for police constable posts' As of September 1, 98,719 applications for male and female police constable posts have been received. The deadline for applications for the 1,088 police constable posts in Himachal Pradesh will not be extended further, Sukhu said during the House proceedings." While clarifying its stance on requests to extend the application period, the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission said that further delays could impact the physical tests and the overall recruitment process. No technical issues with HPPSC portal The commission has clarified that citing technical issues with the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission's (HPPSC) online portal as a reason for extending the application deadline is incorrect. The commission said that the portal is functioning smoothly and there are no technical glitches in its operation. 'Policy on single-teacher schools soon' Sukhu during the Wednesday session announced that the state government is formulating a policy for the appointment of teachers in single-teacher schools. Sukhu said this in response to BJP MLA Reena Kashyap, who highlighted the matter of the teacher shortage in her constituency, Pachhad. Kashyap said that schools are running without any teachers, urging the government to appoint teachers in her area. Responding to the issue, education minister Rohit Thakur said that the state boasts the country's best Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) of 1:10, meaning one teacher is appointed for every 10 students. He mentioned that the government is attempting to fill vacant posts in these regions through a rationalisation process....