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Himachal Pradesh
Thirteen people, including a six-month-old infant, were killed while two others had a narrow escape after massive boulders from a nearby hill suddenly fell on a moving taxi on the Udaipur-Pangi road in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul and Spiti on Friday, police said. Fifteen people were in the SUV, which was on its way from Kullu to Killar when large boulders suddenly crashed onto the vehicle near Kadu nallah, completely crushing it. Following the impact, the rear section of the vehicle caught fire. Bystanders and Army personnel attempted to extinguish the flames at the spot, about 70 km from district headquarters Keylong. Videos of the incident have also surfaced, showing the vehicle almost flattened and engulfed in fire. A team was dispatched to the site immediately after the police received information about the accident. Relief and rescue operations are underway, and the administration is closely monitoring the situation, police said. Apart from the infant, there were seven men and f
Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi on Saturday flagged off the first export consignment of 400 kg of cherries and 400 kg of plums to Oman from Chandigarh via air cargo. The fruits were produced by six progressive farmers from the Jadol-Tikkar and Bagi areas of Shimla district. This marks a historic and proud moment for Himachal Pradesh's horticulture sector, a statement issued here said. Negi said that the Middle East and Gulf countries are emerging as large and promising export markets for Himachal Pradesh's fruits and this initiative would open new international market opportunities for the state's stone fruits and play a significant role in ensuring better and more remunerative prices for farmers. The minister said this is only the beginning, and efforts would be expanded in the future to explore export opportunities for apples and other horticultural produce as well. He added that the Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation ..
In a major relief to farmers facing financial distress, the Himachal Pradesh government has decided to launch the Agriculture Loan Interest Subvention Scheme under the one-time settlement policy, fulfilling a key budget announcement of the state government. The scheme would provide assistance to farmers whose agricultural land is at risk of auction due to loan defaults. Under this farmer-centric initiative, the government would bear 50 per cent of the outstanding interest liability on agricultural loans up to Rs 3 lakh per farmer, a statement issued here on Saturday said. An estimated 6,356 farmers across the state are expected to benefit from the scheme, with a financial outlay of Rs 50 crore. The scheme would be implemented through the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank and the Kangra Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank. The concerned branches will identify and prepare the list of eligible borrowers for availing the benefit of
A fire broke out in a forest area in Kasauli and at least two Indian Air Force helicopters were deployed to douse the blaze, officials said on Tuesday. The forest fire was reported near the Air Force Station in Kasauli, they said. The fire engulfed a significant portion of forest. Teams of the forest department and several fire tenders rushed to douse the fire but were unable to put out the fire. The IAF then deployed its Mil Mi-17 and Chinook helicopters to put out the fire, especially in inaccessible areas of the forest. Water was also lifted from Chandigarh's Sukhna Lake to douse the fire. Till last reports were received, efforts were still underway to put out the fire, officials said. In another incident, a forest fire was also reported in Rajhana village near Shimla. Teams of forest and fire departments rushed to put out the fire. Officials have stated that the rise in temperatures over the past few days is likely the cause behind the forest fires.
The Himachal Pradesh state government will be providing funding of up to Rs 5 lakh per proposal to young entrepreneurs under the HIMUDA Start-up and Student Innovation Policy, to boost economic growth and to generate employment opportunities. This was stated by Town & Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani while he chaired a review meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) on Saturday. During the meeting, the minister said that the policy aims to build a strong ecosystem for innovation and start-ups in the state. "Keeping in view the geographical conditions of the state, the government was also exploring the possibility of funding start-ups related to disaster management under this policy", said Dharmani. He said that the projects of HIMUDA were aimed not only at meeting the housing needs of the people but also at creating new sources of revenue for the state. "Given the rapid pace of urbanisation, urban development has become a vital ...
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