₹25 crore approved for Kangra food testing lab; Kandaghat lab to be strengthened
SHIMLA | January 21, 2026:
The Himachal Pradesh government will formulate its first-ever Nutrition Policy in Himachal Pradesh to ensure holistic nutritional benefits for people across all age groups, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said while chairing a meeting of the Health Department here today.
The Chief Minister said the state was already implementing several major nutrition and food security programmes, including the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Mid-Day Meal Scheme and the Public Distribution System (PDS). In this backdrop, he stressed that systematic nutritional profiling was essential to create awareness about nutrients, caloric intake and food fortification standards among the population.
The Chief Minister said that before finalising the Nutrition Policy in Himachal Pradesh, the government was strengthening basic infrastructure related to nutrition assessment and food testing across the state. As part of this initiative, the Composite Testing Laboratory (CTL) at Kandaghat will be upgraded and new food testing laboratories will be established in a phased manner.
Nutrition Policy in Himachal Pradesh to be Backed by Testing Infrastructure
In the first phase, a new food testing laboratory will be set up in Kangra district, while regional laboratories will be established in other parts of the state in subsequent phases. He informed that the State Cabinet has recently approved proposals for setting up food testing laboratories in Kangra, Mandi, Shimla and Baddi in Solan district.
The Chief Minister announced that ₹25 crore will be released for setting up the food testing laboratory in Kangra, while ₹8.50 crore has been earmarked for strengthening the Kandaghat laboratory. He directed officers to ensure that adequate technical manpower and modern equipment are provided so that these laboratories function efficiently and meet national standards.
He said that a robust testing ecosystem would support nutrition-focused governance, ensure food quality and safety, and help in evidence-based policymaking under the proposed nutrition framework.
Policy Aimed at Long-Term Public Health Outcomes
The Chief Minister emphasised that the proposed policy would integrate nutrition, food safety and public awareness into a unified framework, especially benefitting children, women, elderly and vulnerable sections of society. He said the initiative would also strengthen monitoring of food quality supplied under government welfare schemes.
Principal Advisor (Media) to the Chief Minister Naresh Chauhan, Secretary to the Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, Special Secretary Health Jitender Sanjta and senior officers of the Health Department were present in the meeting.
Leave feedback about this