Speaking to reporters in Shimla on Saturday, the Theog MLA and former Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief said party workers were not happy with the Sukhu government
The Chief Minister said there is a need for immediate financial relief from the Union Government
The Chief Minister directed to make all the essential services like property tax, bill payments, notices, all types of NOCs and permissions online
In a relief to the victims of the recent landslides, flash floods and cloudburst triggered by heavy monsoon rains in the state, the Himachal Pradesh government Monday enhanced the compensation for several categories. Financial assistance will be provided to the families affected by landslides, flash floods and cloudbursts which occurred from July 7 to 15, under special norms, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in a statement issued here. Sukhu had announced assistance of Rs 1 lakh to affected families on July 11, saying the government will make changes to the relief manual for enhancing the relief aid. According to the manual, each disaster victim is granted Rs 5,000 as an aid at present. The compensation enhancement on Monday covered damage to houses, dhabas, shops, and agriculture and horticulture lands. In view of the unprecedented tragedy, the financial aid of Rs 12,500 and Rs 10,000 for partial damage to pucca and kutcha houses respectively has been increased to Rs on
Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses of about Rs 8,000 crore as heavy rains wreaked havoc in the hill state, triggering landslides and flash floods and damaging roads and other infrastructure, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Saturday. According to the state emergency response centre, the losses amounted to about Rs 4,000 crore till Friday night and Sukhu had sought an interim relief of Rs 2,000 crore from the Union home ministry. About 70,000 tourists have been evacuated from the state and 15,000 vehicles sent out, while around 500 tourists have voluntarily decided to stay back, Sukhu said in a statement issued here. Some tourists stuck at Kasol, Manikaran and other adjoining areas in Kullu district refused to move out without their vehicles and have decided to stay back for a few more days till the situation normalises and all roads are opened. Due to a heavy landslide near Dunkhara on the Kasol-Bhuntar road, the vehicles could not be moved and the tourists had to tr
Himachal Pradesh minister Jagat Singh Negi and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Avasthi on Thursday reached Chandertal in Lahaul and Spiti district to evacuate 290 people, mostly tourists. About 300 people, mostly tourists, have been stranded in Chandertal since Saturday and seven sick people, including two elderly and a girl, were airlifted to Bhunter on Tuesday. "Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi reached Chandertal around 2 am Thursday. The first batch of the stranded tourists started from Chandertal around 8 am and reached Kunzum pass. They are expected to reach Losar after 10:30 am," Deputy Commissioner Lahaul and Spiti, Rahul Kunar told PTI. "Food and medical supplies will be provided to the tourists at Losar before taking them to Kaza," he said, adding that the SP is supervising the rescue operation. Officials said Negi reached Chandertal after almost 18 hours as the road rescue teams struggled to clear the route, covered under three to four feet of snow, through Kunzum p
Meanwhile, IPS Satwant Atwal took to her Twitter handle on Wednesday to say that 6 Israeli tourists had been transferred safely to the town of Manikaran, while another 37 were safe and in good health
Although the evacuation efforts and road opening work have gained pace, thousands of tourists are still stuck at various places in rain-battered Himachal Pradesh, according to reports. With over 850 roads still blocked, a large number of tourists have extended their stay in accommodations where they are residing or waiting for the situation to get better. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday called the evacuation of stranded tourists from Chandertal in Lahaul and Spiti a "challenging task". "We have sent a minister and Chief Parliament Secretary Sanjay Avasthi to Chandertal to take stock of the situation," he said after taking an aerial survey of Losar and Chandertal areas. He said state minister Jagat Singh Negi from Tribal Kinnaur district, who is acquainted with the harsh topography and tribal calamities, along with Avasthi will assist the rescue efforts in Chandertal. "They would reach Chandertal by Wednesday night," Sukhu added. About 300 people, mostly tourists
As many as 2,000 tourists stranded in Kasol area of Kullu district owing to incessant rainfall have been evacuated safely, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday. The KulluManali road was opened Tuesday evening and about 2,200 vehicles crossed Kullu. There was no mobile signal in several areas in Manali and its suburbs for the past two days and the tourists were unable to contact their families, officials said. The Kullu-Manali road was opened on the left bank of Manali, while the road on its south was washed away, a local resident said, adding that a majority of the tourists have left the place. "Over 2,000 stranded individuals in Kasol have been successfully evacuated as of now. Our teams are working tirelessly to clear the Dunkhara landslide on the Kasol-Bhuntar road. District administration is on-site coordinating relief efforts. 2200+ vehicles have safely passed through Kullu, receiving food support at Ramshilla Chowk. I personally oversee the
Himachal Pradesh Minister Jagat Singh Negi said that the flash floods have damaged the national highway and disrupted water and electricity supply
With raging waters washing away cars and roads, submerging fields and gushing into residential areas, it was another day of rain havoc in parts of north India, particularly Himachal Pradesh where landslides claimed four more lives and more than 200 people remain stranded. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with senior ministers and officials to take stock of the situation. Several rivers, including the Yamuna in Delhi, in north India are in spate. In cities and towns across the region, many roads and residential areas were submerged in knee-deep water with the civic system unable to hold on in the face of record rains on Sunday. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday asked the Centre to make available additional relief from the PM CARES Fund for states affected by the torrential rain. The prime minister spoke with senior ministers and officials and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of the country, his office said. Local administrations, ...
Incessant overnight rain turned many low-lying areas in Punjab into a horror story, with severe waterlogging and traffic snarls
Courses including artificial intelligence and machine learning are being considered for inclusion in college curricula in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Sunday. At a programme in Government College Hamirpur, he said the state government is introducing new technical courses in technical educational institutions to create better employment opportunities for the youth. Stressing the need for a radical change in the educational system to enable the students to compete with those studying in the world class institutions, he said Rajiv Gandhi Government Model Day-Boarding Schools will be established in each assembly constituency in a phased manner. He informed that land has been identified for the construction of these schools in Sujanpur, Bhoranj and Badsar assembly constituencies of Hamirpur district. These schools will provide students with modern facilities for education, including smart classes and sports amenities. The government is also considering
The Chief Minister said that the delays in the completion of the power projects are causing financial losses for the state's exchequer
Himachal Pradesh government is planning to open 1,000 Lok Mitra Kendra in far-flung areas during the current fiscal to provide instant internet access to the people, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here on Wednesday. The government is determined to make high-speed internet connectivity accessible to the users, especially in the rural areas which lack internet connectivity through these Kendras, he said in a statement. These centres will help in fulfilling the objective to create employment opportunities for the rural youth at their doorstep, the Congress leader said. A widespread optical fibre cable network will be laid across the state for providing internet connectivity, he said, adding that the government will also take up the matter with the concerned authorities to strengthen 5G services. Adequate budget provision has been made for the same by the government for the current financial year, the statement added. The chief minister said an 'Integrated Data Base Manage
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said the state government will set up 250 Ayush wellness centres and 500 herbal gardens in Himachal to give a boost to the Ayurvedic system. In a statement issued here, Sukhu said that these herbal gardens will not only produce quality herbal medicines but also emerge as an added attraction to the tourists visiting the state. The state government will set up 250 Ayush centres and develop 500 herbal gardens in collaboration with Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Education and Forest departments in different parts of the state during the current financial year, he said. It will enable people to derive benefits of ancient Indian medical science -- Ayurveda, the chief minister said. Stressing that introduction of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) therapies in the prevention of disease, and treatment of subclinical conditions and chronic ailments can add a new dimension to the healthcare system, Sukhu
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said the state government has prepared a comprehensive blueprint to decongest Shimla and increase tourist footfall at an estimated cost of over Rs 100 crore. Sukhu said approximately Rs 77 crore will be spent for land acquisition and to compensate the private owners whose properties would be demolished to widen the roads, while Rs 20 crore has been earmarked for the development and widening of the road. Additionally, Rs 3.50 crore has been provisioned for the construction of a flyover from Metropole to High Court Junction, he said. The state government has a clear vision to boost tourism in Himachal Pradesh and to create an environment conducive to the growth of the tourism industry by providing visitors with an unforgettable experience, Sukhu said in a statement issued here. He said that Rs 97 crore has been released for this and the state government would provide more funds if needed. Parking lots will also be ..
In the meeting, Cabinet also decided to open Government Degree College, Tauni Devi in the Hamirpur district
The Chief Minister said the capacity of the plant in Dagwar would range from one lakh to three lakh litres in which high quality products of milk would also be prepared
The registration of migrant workers, street vendors, hawkers and other outsiders temporarily living in different areas of this Himachal Pradesh district has been made mandatory to maintain law and order, an official said on Sunday. Issuing an order in this regard, the District Magistrate (DM) Hemraj Bairwa said a large number of labourers, street vendors and hawkers and other people from outside states come to work in the district and they often live in rented houses or at various construction sites. The orders have been issued to prevent any kind of untoward incidents in the district and to maintain law and order, he said adding that police often find it difficult to investigate cases involving outsiders as their details are not available and therefore registration is important. The DM has also ordered all the contractors and businessmen to get all their workers registered at their nearest police station. The locals have also been instructed to ensure the identity and registration