Dharamshala, Aug. 13 -- Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said that even after imposing the orphan and widow cess, the diesel and petrol rates in Himachal are still lower than neighbouring states. "When I compared diesel and petrol prices in Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand, I found that they were Rs.1.25 higher than in Himachal Pradesh. I then thought of imposing a cess for the welfare of widows and orphans, for which we have already passed a law. I am happy to say that even after this, our diesel and petrol prices are still 60-70 paise lower than those in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana," Sukhu told reporters in Bilaspur. The government imposed a widow and orphan cess of 60 paise per litre on petrol and high-speed diesel, which came into effect from midnight of August 11. The revenue generated from the revised cess will be used to support welfare of widows and orphaned children. The cess will be charged at Rs.0.60 (60 paise) per litre on petrol as well as high-speed diesel according to notification issued with the approval of the council of ministers. The levy will be collected at the first point of sale within Himachal, meaning it will be imposed before the fuel moves through subsequent stages of sale in the state. The new cess has marginally increased the effective cost of petrol and diesel in the state, while the revenue generated is intended to support welfare measures concerning widows and orphaned children. The fuel cess follows the passage of the Himachal Pradesh Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, by the Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly during the budget session earlier this year which empowered the state government to levy a widow and orphan cess of up to Rs.5 per litre on petrol and high-speed diesel. The bill was passed amid uproar by the opposition BJP. The CM has assured that the state government would extend full cooperation for the expansion and strengthening of AIIMS Bilaspur and make it a premier healthcare institution so that it can serve the people of Himachal Pradesh more effectively. During his visit to Bilaspur district, the CM visited AIIMS and held discussions with the faculties regarding healthcare services and other related issues. He said the state government was making every possible effort to strengthen its medical colleges to provide world-class healthcare facilities to the people in all medical colleges by December this year, ensuring that patients do not have to travel outside the State for getting the best medical treatment. The CM transferred Rs 52.50 lakh through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to 1,500 fishermen with Rs. 3,500 each of Bilaspur district under Mukhya Mantri Machhuara Samman Nidhi Yojana during his visit to the Jhandutta Assembly Constituency of the district. He announced the waiver of the five-fold penalty imposed on fishermen societies and increased the subsidy for establishing cold storage units from 70% to 80%....