Himachal Pradesh Government

Rooftop solar power to be installed at Himachal hospitals, says CM Sukhu

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

Himachal Dy CM orders probe into Sirmaur bus accident that claimed 14 lives

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 ..

Medical services hit across Himachal as doctors go on indefinite strike

Medical services, barring emergency services, were severely affected across several hospitals in Himachal Pradesh as resident doctors went on an indefinite strike on Saturday against the termination of services of a doctor who entered into a brawl with a patient. Patients and attendants, especially those coming from remote locations, were facing difficulties due to the unavailability of doctors. "I came here on Thursday from Ani, which is about 125 kilometres from Shimla, for my father's treatment. But no doctors are available due to the strike and we are facing inconvenience," said Krishan Singh Thakur, who accompanied a patient. The peak winter cold and unavailability of accommodation due to heavy tourist rush around the New Year are adding to their trouble, Thakur said, urging that the government and the doctors resolve the matter at the earliest in the interest of patients. "My wife is admitted in the hospital. Her MRI was to be conducted today, but not done yet as the strike h

Himachal in 2025: Disasters, rush to rebuild, debt keep state on edge

A debilitating natural disaster, constant financial crunch, and war against 'chitta' marked the year in Himachal Pradesh, which also witnessed historic court verdicts and a furore over the mysterious death of a power corporation engineer. Excessive rains during the monsoon caused havoc, triggering multiple cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides in the state. Nature's fury spared none, reducing houses, roads, bridges, and public utilities to rubble, stranding many and killing at least 240 people. Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, and Kangra districts were hit the most severely. The government invoked Section 34 of the National Disaster Management Act and declared the entire state "disaster-affected." By the end of it, the government pegged the state losses at Rs 5,000 crore. The widespread destruction drew the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the wrecked districts and announced a relief package of Rs 1,500 crore. That was hardly the end of it. The Congress government

Robotic surgery to begin at 3 medical colleges in Himachal by Jan 2026: CM

Robotic surgery will be operational at the medical colleges in Hamirpur, Nerchowk in Mandi, and the IGMC in Shimla by January 2026, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday. In addition, smart labs are being established at Chamiyana and IGMC in Shimla and Tanda near Dharamsala, Sukhu said in a reply during the Question Hour, adding that the government is investing Rs 3,000 crore in the health sector. The state government aims to provide AIIMS Delhi-standard healthcare to its 7.5 million population. Patients in Himachal Pradesh are being charged on the lines of PGI Chandigarh, Sukhu said. Since the launch of robotic surgery in the state, 78 operations have been performed at Chamiyana, Shimla, and 38 at the Tanda Medical College, Kangra, in the past two months, he said. Responding to a supplementary question by BJP MLA Bikram Thakur, the chief minister said the training process for doctors is different, and funds are spent on the lines

Himachal Assembly opens winter session with row over deferred local polls

The 10-day winter session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly began on Wednesday with a discussion on the deferment of elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) after the Opposition BJP moved an adjournment motion. Speaking on the motion, leader of the opposition (LOP) Jai Ram Thakur hit out at the government and accused it of delaying the PRI elections, fearing defeat. The elections to over 3,500 gram panchayats in the state are slated for December 2025-January 2026. The last date for conducting the elections is January 23, and the State Election Commission has set the ball rolling by initiating the preparation of electoral rolls. However, in a notification issued on October 9, Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta announced that the polls will be held "only after restoration of proper connectivity", considering the damage to roads and private and public properties due to monsoon havoc this year. The state cabinet on Monday (November 24) approved the ...

Himachal rains: Death toll rises to 427; 243 rain-related, 184 in accidents

Public infrastructure has been badly hit. As of September 20 morning, 394 roads, including two national highways (NH-03 and NH-503A), remain blocked, the SDMA said

MGNREGA man-days increased to 150 in Himachal after monsoon calamity

In the wake of rain-related disasters in several parts of Himachal Pradesh, the norms under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) have been relaxed in the state, increasing the number of annual man-days from 100 to 150, officials said on Friday. The revised guidelines will be specially applicable in areas where disasters wreaked havoc. The Himachal Pradesh government has declared the entire state as calamity hit and as such it was natural that the demand under MGNREGA would be more. Keeping this in view, the Union Ministry of Agriculture, Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development has recommended an additional 50 days under MGNREGA, which has been approved, an official release said. The additional man-days would be generated with the consent of the state and the Central government and the work would start with the budget available for the projects already approved where additional labour would be engaged, wherever required, the release said. Since the onset of ...

PM Modi announces ₹1,500 cr aid for rain-affected areas in Himachal Pradesh

Modi first conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas before attending a meeting in Kangra to review the relief and rehabilitation measures

Woman killed in landslide, 4 others feared buried in Himachal's Kullu

A woman was killed in a landslide while four other members of her family are feared to have been buried under the debris in the Nirmand area of Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district. Two houses were completely damaged following the landslide triggered by heavy rains around 1:30 am on Monday night in the Sharmani village of Ghatu panchayat in the district. One body has been recovered and four other members of the family are feared trapped in the rubble, said gram panchayat pradhan Bhoga Ram on Tuesday. The deceased woman has been identified as Brasiti Devi, wife of Shiv Ram While Chunni Lal, Anju, Jagriti and Pupesh are still missing and search operations are underway in the village, he said. Three people -- Dharam Das, his wife Kala Devi and Shiv Ram -- sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Nirmand hospitals by the villagers. He said that the administration and the office of sub-divisional magistrate have been informed about the tragedy, and the villagers were engaged in search

Monsoon havoc in Himachal claims 366 lives, causes damage of over ₹4,080 cr

The report recorded 4,784 houses fully or partially damaged, along with losses to shops, cowsheds, agricultural and horticultural crops, and educational and health infrastructure

Himachal govt announces revised pay scales for nearly 14,000 employees

About 14,000 Himachal government employees serving in 89 categories will be affected by the HP Civil Services (Revised Pay) Second Amendment Rules 2025, notified by the government on Saturday. The amendment provides for omitting section 7A of the rules inserted on January 3, 2022, affecting about 14,000 employees, who would suffer a loss of between Rs 5,000 and 15,000 per month after re-fixation of the revised pay scale, with effect from January 1, 2016, Federation of Secretarial Employees Union Sanjeev Sharma said on Sunday. "We discussed the issue in detail with other employees' outfits and decided to meet the chief minister, chief secretary and Principal Secretary (Finance) on Monday and plead for withdrawing the notification regarding the amended Rules," he added. He said that the decision would impact the employees in the lower and middle sections. "Employees adjust their expenses, including school fees of children, loan instalments and other regular expenses as per the salary

Himachal directs companies to spend CSR funds within state: Minister

Himachal Pradesh government will ensure multinational companies set up in the state do not spend their CSR funds outside, Industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said in the Assembly on Friday. Raising the issue during the question hour, Sanjay Awasthi (Congress) named two large companies that are located in his Arki constituency and said the people there have been affected because of their projects, but funds under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) are not being used by them for the welfare of the locals. Responding to the remarks, Industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan admitted that multinational companies were spending CSR funds in other states and not in Himachal. He assured that the government will enquire about the complaints regarding violations of environmental safeguards. Congress MLA from Doon Ram Kumar stressed that CSR funds should be used at the places where such companies are located and BJP MLA from Bilaspur Trilok Jamwal also complained that the company i

Himachal rain damage: Death toll rises to 310, losses cross ₹2,450 crore

Road accidents, which surged amid slippery roads, poor visibility, and landslide debris, claimed 22 lives each in Chamba and Mandi, 19 in Kangra, 16 in Solan, and 15 in Shimla

Himachal monsoon havoc: Death toll rises to 306, losses cross ₹2,394 crore

The SDMA further informed that 199 disaster incidents occurred across the state, with the highest number reported in the Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts

HP electricity board records ₹315 cr profit in FY25 after years of losses

The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) turned profitable in financial year 2024-25, earning a profit of Rs 315 crore, an official statement said. Until March 31, 2024, HPSEBL had accumulated losses amounting to Rs 3,742 crore. "After facing losses for many years, this is the highest profit ever recorded by the board. This milestone is not just a number, but a reflection of the commitment of the present state government to its vision of a 'Nai Soch, Naya Himachal'," a government spokesperson said in the statement. The present Himachal government, through its reforms, transparent administrative policies and financial discipline helped the board recover from losses and turn profitable, he said. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the success was the result of a clear policy, honest governance and a welfare-oriented approach. As per the statement, for 2024-25, an amount of Rs 368.89 crore was approved for gratuity, medical reimbursement, revised pension .

Himachal may 'vanish in thin air' amid ecological imbalance, warns SC

The Supreme Court has flagged the ecological imbalance in Himachal Pradesh and cautioned that the entire state may "vanish in thin air" if the situation does not change. Observing that the situation in Himachal Pradesh has gone from bad to worse, the apex court said climate change is having a "visible and alarming impact" on the state. "We want to impress upon the state government and Union of India that earning revenue is not everything. Revenue cannot be earned at the cost of environment and ecology," a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said. "If things proceed the way they are as on date, the day is not far when the entire state of HP may vanish in thin air from the map of the country. God forbid this doesn't happen," it said. The top court made the observations on July 28 while dealing with a petition against an order of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, which declined to entertain a plea challenging the state's June 2025 notification declaring certain areas as "gr

Himachal to earn ₹250 cr extra from 18% royalty on Karcham-Wangtu project

A spokesperson for the state government stated that with this decision, the government would receive an annual additional income of approximately Rs 150 crore

SC rules in favour of Himachal in power dispute with JSW Hydro Energy

Supreme Court upholds Himachal Pradesh's claim to 18% free power from JSW Hydro Energy, rejecting plea to align supply with CERC's 13% cap under 2019 regulations

Funds won't be a constraint for relief, rehabilitation efforts: Himachal CM

He said that the government has opened almost all the major roads of these areas and the work of opening the link roads of the disaster affected area were going on war footing