Page 2 - Himachal Pradesh Government

Himachal govt to set up the emergency response centre in all panchayats

The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday gave its consent for setting up Panchayat Emergency Response Centre in all panchayats of the state, according to an official statement. In a meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the cabinet gave its consent for Panchayat Emergency Response Centre in each of the 3,645 panchayats of the state to ensure effective response in the event of natural disasters to save human lives and properties. To encourage self-employment and reduce dependence on conventional energy sources, it also approved the provision of interest subsidies for the establishment of solar power projects, the statement issued here said. Under this initiative, a five per cent interest subsidy will be provided for solar projects ranging from 100 KW to 1 MW in tribal areas, while a 4 per cent subsidy will be extended for projects with capacities between 250 KW and 2 MW in non-tribal regions. The cabinet also approved the signing of a

Three people missing as cloudbursts create havoc in Himachal's Kullu

Three people were washed away as cloudbursts led to flash floods in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on Wednesday, damaging several houses, a school building, connecting roads and small bridges, officials said. Three cloudbursts incidents were reported from Jeeva Nallah and Rehla Bihal in Sainj and Shilagarh in Gadsa area of Kullu district. Three people in Rehla Bihal trying to take away their valuables from their homes were washed away in the deluge and are missing, the officials said. There were also flash floods in Manali and Banjar in the district. Teams are at the spot and search operations are underway, said Kullu Additional District Commissioner (ADC) Ashwani Kumar. There were also reports of a flash flood in the Brahma Ganga drain in Manikaran valley. Water levels have reached several houses and could cause damage if they don't recede soon. Videos of heavy floods at several places in Kullu show the extent of the damage. In one, a vehicle can be seen floating in muddy ...

Return used packs, get paid: Himachal's new policy to tackle mountain trash

The Himachal Pradesh cabinet has launched 'Deposit Refund Scheme 2025', offering cash refunds for returned non-biodegradable packaging to tackle waste

JP Nadda rules out return to Himachal politics amid BJP leadership shift

With the party expected to soon elect his successor, BJP chief J P Nadda on Sunday ruled out a return to Himchal Pradesh politics. "I am in a responsible position and there is no possibility of coming back to the state," Nadda, who was elected BJP's national president in February 2020 and has been on an extension since his three-year term ended, said at a press conference here. The BJP is in the process of picking the chiefs of several state units in the coming days to pave the way for the election of its national president, sources said earlier this week. Once the appointment is made in some of the states, the process for electing Nadda's replacement will begin soon, a party leader had said. The state BJP president would be elected soon, Nadda said while replying to a question on Sunday. He attacked the Himachal Government, alleging that it was the "most corrupt" among the Congress governments in the country. Nadda claimed that the Congress government in the state has given ...

Himachal Pradesh budget FY26 passed: Focus on rural economy, farmers, youth

Addressing government employees, the Chief Minister assured timely payment of Dearness Allowance (DA)

HPPCL director suspended after protests over chief engineer's death

A director (electrical) of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited has been suspended after the relatives of a deceased chief engineer of the corporation sat on a dharna demanding the suspension of senior officers and a CBI inquiry into his death, officials said on Thursday. The body of Vimal Negi, who was missing since March 10, was found in Bilapsur on Tuesday. Negi's wife has claimed that it was "not a suicide but murder", alleging that her husband was pressurised, denied holidays, and harassed even when he was unwell and his blood pressure was fluctuating. The protesters, who sat on dharna outside the HPPCL office in Shimla on Wednesday, refused to perform Negi's last rites till senior officers of the corporation were suspended. They also raised slogans against Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) director (electrical) Desh Raj and its managing director Harikesh Meena. The dharna was lifted late on Wednesday night only after the suspension of Desh Raj and ...

HP debt at Rs 1 trn, govt spending Centre's aid on giving salaries: BJP

BJP Himachal Pradesh Media In-charge Karan Nanda on Saturday lashed out at the Congress-led state government for increasing the state's debt to one lakh crore and demanded that it reveal where the funds are being utilised. While addressing a press conference in Shimla, Nanda said that despite receiving Rs 11,000 crore in financial aid from the central government for various schemes, the state government is using that money for salaries and pensions instead of development. He stated that the Congress-led government had failed to deliver on development despite taking loans and was instead blaming the central government. He further pointed out that with the central government's Rs 11,000 crore funding, the state government had been using Rs 1,000 crore each month just to pay the salaries of employees. Nanda mentioned that the state government has failed to pay salaries and pensions on time, leading to protests by employees as well as the public. He added that during BJP National ...

Himachal Board cancels Class 12 English exam over suspected paper leak

The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education has cancelled the Class 12 English examination for the March 2025 session across all examination centres in the state following the possibility of a paper leak, officials said on Friday. The breach was detected at Government Senior Secondary School, Chowari, in District Chamba where the teachers by mistake opened the English question paper of Class 12 in place of Class 10. According to the schedule, the English paper of Class 10 was on March 7 while the English paper of Class 12 was on March 8. According to an official notification issued by the Board, an anonymous complaint was received on March 7, alleging that the Class 12 English question paper had been opened before the scheduled date and time. The Board promptly investigated the matter and verified the claim using video evidence from the "Exam Mitra App", a new monitoring system introduced to enhance examination security. Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education Secretary Vish

Cong MLAs close to Sukhu given priority, BJP being ignored: Jairam Thakur

Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur on Monday said only priorities of Congress MLAs close to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are being considered while the BJP legislatures are being ignored and disrespected. Addressing the media here, a day after announcing that the legislatures of opposition BJP would boycott the Himachal government's meeting to discuss developmental priorities for their constituencies, he said that some of the Congress MLAs have contacted him to tell him that their priorities have also been ignored and they are sailing in the same boat. "For the past two years, BJP legislatures have been attending the MLA's priority meeting but unfortunately even the process of preparing a detailed project report (DPR) of priorities given by the MLAs has not started in majority of the projects, he said, claiming that if the DPR is prepared it is not being forward for execution. Thakur said the funds of special assistance given by the Centre to Himachal f

Himachal CM Sukhu lays foundation for Rs 5.11 crore bridge project

CM Sukhu congratulated the people of the area for this bridge and said that this bridge will be constructed within a period of one year, which will benefit the public

Himachal Cabinet expands BPL list, includes women-headed families

The Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Thursday approved inclusion of families with no adult members between 18 and 59 years, headed by women or whose head has a disability of 50 per cent or more under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) list. Families that worked for at least 100 days under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) in the previous financial year and families whose earning members are suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, muscular dystrophy, thalassemia or any other condition resulting in permanent disability are also included in the BPL list, a statement issued here said. The state cabinet, in its meeting presided by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, approved the establishment of a special task force (STF) to combat drug abuse and dismantle drug trafficking and organised crime networks in the state through a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach. Besides, the cabinet has decided to promulgate an ordinance amending

Himachal CM surrenders power subsidy, urges well-off consumers to follow

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday voluntarily relinquished the subsidy on all five power connections registered in his name. He also said that affluent citizens with multiple electricity connections should relinquish subsidies to support the development of the state. Submitting the required documents to Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board chairman Sanjay Gupta, Sukhu urged the well-off individuals in the state to follow suit by using the online portal of the board, or by calling helpline numbers 1100 or 1912, or by visiting their nearest electricity sub-division. Addressing a press conference, the chief minister said all the Cabinet members and Congress MLAs in the state have agreed to forgo their subsidies following detailed discussions. "The government spends Rs 2,200 crore annually on electricity subsidies and Rs 200 crore per month on salaries and pensions of electricity board employees. Subsidies should be reserved for the needy, and the

Snowfall in Himachal Pradesh shuts 226 roads, including 3 highways

A total of 226 roads, including three national highways, were closed in Himachal Pradesh following snowfall in several districts, officials said on Wednesday. People shivered under piercing cold wave conditions as minimum temperatures dropped by a few notches in Jot, which received 10 cm of snow in the past 24 hours, followed by Khadrala (5 cm), Pooh (2 cm), Sangla (1.2 cm) and Keylong (1 cm). Tabo in the Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest place in Himachal Pradesh, recording a night temperature of minus 10.6 degrees Celsius. A total of 226 roads, including three national highways including Attari and Leh, Sanj to Aut in Kullu district, Khab Sangam in Kinnaur district, and Gramphoo in Lahaul and Spiti district were closed for traffic, officials said. According to the state emergency operation center, a maximum of 123 roads were closed in Shimla district, 36 in Lahaul and Spiti and 25 in Kullu. Additionally, 173 transformers were disrupted, affecting power supply across the

Himachal to resolve pending cases of employment on compassionate ground: CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday directed officials to formulate a comprehensive policy for employment on compassionate grounds and said his government intends to settle all pending cases. Chairing a high-level meeting, he asked the officials to compile and present data like the department, age and educational qualification of the applicants seeking employment on compassionate grounds, a statement said. The state government is adopting a "liberal and sympathetic" approach to offer employment in the government sector to those who lost their family members during service, he said and instructed the officers to come up with the requisite data in the next meeting on January 10. The government is committed to supporting the well-being of dependents by giving preference to widows and orphans in providing employment on compassionate grounds, he said and added that various aspects would be viewed to benefit the maximum number of applicants. Sukhu said that

We tried to close door that caused corruption: Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu

The Himachal Pradesh government raised milk procurement prices from Rs 38 to Rs 45 and that of buffalo milk from Rs 38 to Rs 55 per litre this April

Bold but flawed: CM Sukhu's governance under scrutiny in Himachal

Sukhu was brimming with ideas when he took office. His slogan was "vyavastha parivartan" (institutional change)

Winter session of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha records 106% productivity

The four-day-long winter session of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, which concluded here on Saturday, achieved a record productivity rate of 106 per cent, an official said. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania announced the indefinite adjournment of the seventh session of the 14th Vidhan Sabha, with four meetings spanning a total of 21 hours and 20 minutes. During the discussions in the session, the ruling party contributed 9 hours and 30 minutes, while the opposition participated for 8 hours and 30 minutes. The session also marked a historic milestone with the launch of the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) on December 18, making Himachal Pradesh a pioneer in digitised legislative processes, Pathania said. The session featured the inaugural "Zero Hour," during which 26 subjects were discussed, he added. Congress MLA from Lahaul and Spiti, Anuradha Rana, became the first legislator to raise an issue under Zero Hour. According to Pathania, a total of 14 government bills were intro

HP govt notifies homestay rules, extends special aid to disaster-hit areas

The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Thursday approved the recommendations of a sub-committee led by Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan on the operation of homestays in the state, and decided to notify the Himachal Pradesh Homestays Rules, 2024. According to the new provisions, preference will be given to bonafide Himachalis, while the requirement to obtain no objection certificates (NOCs) from the HP Pollution Control Board, local bodies or any other department has been waived, an official statement said. The meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also decided to extend the special relief package given to the disaster-hit areas in 2023 to people affected by natural disasters at Samej and Rampur in Shimla district, Jaun-Bagipul and Nirmand in Kullu district, and Tikkam Thalu-Kot in Mandi district during this year's monsoon, in which more than 30 people lost their lives with several still missing. Under the special package, the affected families will receive enhanc

Himachal CM Sukhu launches 6 new schemes to mark two years of Congress govt

Aiming to promote natural farming, the Chief Minister introduced Him Bhog Atta, prepared from maize grown using natural farming practices

Cong govt spent Rs 11,200 cr on loan interest, says Himachal CM Sukhu

The present Congress government has taken Rs 28,000 crore loan in the past two years out of which over Rs 11,200 crore was spent to pay interest on loan taken by the previous governments since 1971, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday. He also said that Rs 7,800 was spent on repaying the principal amount of loan while Rs 9,000 crore on development. Speaking at a programme to mark completion of two years of Congress government in office in Bilaspur, Sukhu said that this is not a celebration "It is just a programme and we would celebrate when Himachal Pradesh becomes self-reliant in 2027," he said. The chief minister reiterated the challenges of financial crunch, worst monsoon disaster in 2023 and "political conspiracy" leading to bypolls on nine assembly seats faced by the Congress government in the past two years. Sukhu said that 75,000 tourists were rescued during the monsoon disaster last year. "I am aware of the Union government's step-moth