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Himachal Pradesh
Stepping up its ante against promoters of the Chester-Hill real estate project in Solan district, the Himachal unit of CPI(M) on Friday demanded a judicial enquiry into the allegations that non-agriculturist promoters from outside the state were controlling the project under a 'benami' arrangement. The party's state unit also demanded the removal of the acting chief secretary, Sanjay Gupta, from the post, and threatened to launch agitation if prompt action was not taken in the matter. Addressing a press conference here, the CPI(M) state secretary, Sanjay Chauhan, along with CPIM leaders Kuldeep Tanwar and Virendra Mehra, accused the government of playing down the "scam" by dubbing it as a fight among bureaucrats and said that the inaction of the government was "questionable." The allegations against the promoters of the project not only amount to violation of the HP Municipal Corporation Act 1994 but also undermined the provisions of section 118 of the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act,
Reeling under an acute financial crunch, the Himachal Pradesh government raised its highest-ever loans amounting to Rs 41,173 crore and also repaid loans worth Rs 32,004 crore in the financial year 2025-26, as per the revised budget estimates. A provision for raising loans amounting Rs 11,965 has been made in the budget for the financial year 2026-27. The rising debt and interest burden of the Himachal government and discontinuation of Revenue Deficit Grants (RDG) has become a challenge for the economy alongside the narrow tax base. As per the figures provided in the "Budget in Brief", the loan liability of the government stood at Rs 1,03,994 crore in 2025-26 which is estimated to touch Rs 1,12,319 crore in 2026-27. The total debt burden of the government was Rs 76,681 crore in 2022-23, Rs 85,295 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 93,625 crore in 2024-25, showing a rising trend. Interest payment was Rs 6,260.93 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 6,693 crore in 2025-26, and has been pegged at Rs 7,271
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday presented a Rs 54,928-crore Budget for 2026-27, with revenue deficit of Rs 6,577 crore and fiscal deficit of Rs 9,698 crore. Presenting his fourth Budget, Chief Minister Sukhu, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the Budget was focused on strengthening the rural economy, catering to the requirements of 'poorest among poor' and fulfilling the poll guarantees. The revenue receipts are estimated at Rs 40,361 crore in 2026-27, while revenue expenditure is expected at Rs 46,938 crore, and the total deficit is pegged at Rs 6,755 crore. The Budget for 2026-27 pegs fiscal deficit at Rs 9,698 crore, or 3.49 per cent of the State Gross Domestic Product. As per the Budget, for every one rupee, 44.14 paisa would be spent on general services, 31.46 paisa on social services, 11.29 paisa on economic services, 5.62 paisa on capital expenditure, 8.81 paisa on repayment of loans and 1.56 paisa on subsidies. Out of Rs 100, a
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday presented Rs 54,928-crore budget for the financial year 2026-27 in the state assembly. Sukhu, who was presenting his fourth budget, started his speech by saying that the discontinuation of the revenue deficit grant (RDG) has impacted the annual budget and accused the BJP for not supporting the state's interests. "The opposition BJP has not sided with the state in these hard times and history will never forget them," Sukhu said, drawing immediate reaction from the BJP members. The BJP took exception to the language and raised slogans after moving into the well of the House. As the sloganeering continued, the speaker adjourned the House till 11.30 am after which the BJP members moved out of the House, though the Congress MLAs remained seated. Minutes later, BJP members returned and continued raising slogans while the chief minister continued the budget speech. He said conflicts around the world have started impactin
Heavy rains and gusty winds hit the northern states on Wednesday, with a few places in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir receiving snow. The national capital Delhi also witnessed a turbulent weather in the evening as gusty winds, dust storms and thunderstorms, accompanied by rain, swept across parts of the city. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department, in an X post, said it has issued "an orange warning for light to moderate thunderstorm with lightning and gusty wind activity along with light to moderate rain over Jammu region and Himachal Pradesh", along with some other states. Some areas in the higher reaches of Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Wednesday, while rain lashed most parts of the Valley. Pir Ki Gali in Shopian district and Sonamarg in Ganderbal district received snowfall, even as most mountains in the Valley -- which have been receiving intermittent snow since Sunday -- remained covered by layers of white. The plains, including Srinagar, were lashed by r
Himachal Pradesh presently has sufficient stock of petrol, diesel and domestic cooking gas (LPG), Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta said on Wednesday. Presiding over a review meeting to assess the availability of petrol, diesel and domestic as well as commercial LPG in the state in view of the current situation arising due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, he directed officials to ensure uninterrupted availability for the public. Around 15,000 commercial LPG cylinders are currently available in the state, and these were being supplied to hotels, restaurants and other institutions as required, a statement issued here said. However, it was noted that the supply of commercial LPG cylinders has been slightly affected due to the prevailing circumstances. Despite this, private and government hospitals, as well as educational institutions, were being provided with a full supply of commercial LPG cylinders on priority to ensure that essential services continue without disruption. The
The state government has mandated the installation of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations across commercial, public, semi-public buildings and real estate projects under the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning (17th Amendment) Rules, 2026, officials said on Tuesday. The move has been aligned with model building bye-laws, which ensures the state's physical infrastructure evolves in tandem with the rising adoption of electric mobility, Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani said in a statement issued here. The Himachal Pradesh government is committed to becoming a green energy state, and to realise this, decisive legislative updates have been integrated for sustainable infrastructure into urban development, the minister added. Dharmani said that to further incentivise energy efficiency, the state government has strictly implemented the HP Energy Conservation Building Code (HPECBC) and Rules 2018. Under these regulations, specialised buildings including ...
Himachal Pradesh will now design drainage structures using scientific hydrological data, including actual rainfall intensity and catchment characteristics, replacing reliance on standardised templates alone, according to a statement. This data-driven approach, introduced under the new Road Drainage Policy, aims to build more resilient roads and reduce annual monsoon-related damage. It also seeks to improve network resilience and enhance public safety and serviceability, a government spokesperson said on Saturday. Approval for the policy was granted during a cabinet meeting held on February 12, 2026. The policy is aimed at addressing the recurring damage inflicted on the state's roads due to heavy monsoon rains. In 2023 and 2025 alone, the state suffered estimated losses of nearly Rs 2,400 crore and Rs 3,000 crore, respectively, due to extensive road damage. Technical evaluations revealed that inadequate drainage systems, along with slope instability, were key factors behind the ...
In an unusual move, Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Monday concluded his address to the state Legislative Assembly within two minutes, skipping a portion of the speech over what he termed as "comments on a constitutional institution". Speaking at the start of the Budget Session of the Assembly, the governor said he would not read paragraph 3 to 16 of the prepared speech. "I think there are comments on the constitutional institution from paragraph 3 to 16 and I do not think I should read it," the governor told the House. He noted that the address from paragraph 17 onwards contains government achievements which would be subject to deliberation upon by the legislators. Earlier, the governor informed the House that the session has been convened for passing supplementary demands for grants for the year 2025-26, the budget for the financial year 2026-27 and for important legislative business. The skipped portion of the address focused on the revenue deficit grant (RDG). "
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday announced that the Himachal Pradesh government would soon invite tenders worth approximately Rs.100 crore for the procurement of medicines. Presiding over a meeting of senior health department officials, the chief minister said medicines would be procured directly from manufacturers to provide world-class drugs to patients in government health institutions across the state. "If required, the state government will also make amendments to the Drugs Act to ensure quality medicines for the people to safeguard public interest," Sukhu said. The chief minister directed the officials to maintain strict quality standards for medicines provided at government facilities. The state government is implementing several reforms to improve the health sector, with a primary focus on ensuring world-class healthcare facilities remain available within Himachal, he said. Sukhu directed the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation officials to procure medicines
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday directed the installation of rooftop solar power systems at healthcare institutions under the health department. He said that installing these systems in a phased manner would promote green energy and also help save money. He further said that his government has set a target to develop Himachal Pradesh as a green energy state, and effective steps are being taken to achieve this goal. Himachal's annual energy consumption is about 13,000 million units, and to make the state self-reliant in the energy sector, the government has set a target to meet more than 90 per cent of its energy requirement through renewable sources, he said in a statement issued here. The government has set the target to install solar energy projects with a total capacity of 500 megawatts in the state within the next two years, and special efforts are being made to promote alternative energy projects such as those related to solar, green hydrogen
A day after 14 people died in a bus accident in Himachal's Sirmaur district, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri ordered a probe to ascertain the cause. Agnihotri, who holds the transport portfolio, said an inquiry has been ordered into the tragic road accident that led to 14 deaths and injuries to a large number of people. The administration has acted promptly in the entire matter, and the injured are undergoing treatment in different hospitals, he said. The accident occurred on Friday afternoon, when an overloaded private bus, surpassing its seating capacity of 39, veered off the road on its way to Kupvi from Shimla, and fell into a 500-feet deep gorge. It landed upside down near Haripurdhar village, around 95 kilometres from the district headquarters, Nahan. Besides 14 casualties, which include eight women, about 52 people sustained injuries in the accident. The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained; however, locals suspect that the bus driver lost control of the ..