Page 10 - Himachal Pradesh

Bara Bhangal in Kangra to get road connectivity in two years: Himachal CM

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government is prioritising to provide road connectivity in remote and hard areas

HC orders attachment of Delhi's Himachal Bhawan as govt fails to clear dues

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ordered the attachment of the Himachal Bhawan in Delhi for the recovery of Rs 150 crore that the state government owes to a power firm, Seli Hydropower Electrical Company. Passing the order on Monday, a single-judge bench of Justice Ajay Mohan Goel said the company may take appropriate steps for auction of Himachal Bhawan located in central Delhi's Mandi House area thereof. The case pertains to the 340 MW Seli Hydropower Electric Project on the Chenab river in Lahaul and Spiti district. The state government awarded the project to Seli Hydro Electric Power Company Limited/Moser Baer and issued the Letter of Allotment (LOA) on February 28, 2009, following which the firm deposited the upfront premium of Rs 64 crore. However, the project did not materialise. The state government cancelled the LOA and ordered forfeiture of the upfront premium. The company challenged the decision before an arbitrator which ruled in its favour and asked the government

Himachal govt expands 'CM Sukh-Ashray Yojana' to support abandoned children

Under the expanded Mukhyamantri Sukhashrya Yojana, certificates for eligible children would be issued by district child welfare committees, a government release said

Cong govt stable, BJP's attempts to destabilise will fail: HP ministers

PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh said the High Court's decision declared CPS appointments unconstitutional, but the law was valid at the time of the appointments

HP TET admit card 2024: Hall tickets to be out soon; exam from Nov 15

The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) is preparing for the Himachal Pradesh Teachers Eligibility Test (HP TET) November 2024 session

Anurag Thakur hits Congress for broken promises, says Himachal govt cheated

BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, alleging that the party's history was littered with broken promises and people of Himachal Pradesh were paying a price by voting it to power. Thakur, who is in Maharashtra amid the BJP's campaign for the November 20 assembly polls, urged people to vote for the Mahayuti if they wanted to save the state. Talking to reporters, the BJP leader highlighted Mahayuti's track record on development, asserting that it is the only choice for those seeking honest governance and sustained progress. He said the Congress came to power in Himachal Pradesh with a "laundry list of guarantees" about uplifting citizens, and months into its rule, people are left wondering about these promises. There was not a single party that the Congress never cheated, he said. "The party's history is littered with broken promises and false assurances, and this time, Himachal Pradesh is paying the price," the former Union minister said.

No infiltration by China on Himachal border, says Governor Shukla

Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Wednesday said there is no infiltration by China on the border of the state. His remarks came days after Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said that drones have been spotted on the Indo-China border in Kinnaur district. "China has now understood that they cannot take even a single inch of Indian land," Shukla said. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by the Panchayati Raj Department at the Raj Bhawan here. "China has now understood that they cannot take even a single inch of Indian land," the governor said. The tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti share a 240-km border with China which is traversed by nine high altitude mountain passes. When asked about the statement of Revenue Minister Negi that drones have been spotted on the Indo-China border in Kinnaur district and that they are likely being used for surveillance and espionage purposes, Shukla said, "I have visited the border areas of

Govt strengthening SDRF for effective emergency response: Himachal CM

To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the emergency response system in Himachal Pradesh, the state government is working diligently to strengthen the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday. In this effort, the state government has taken two important decisions. First, the entire response framework will be unified under the additional director general of home guards and civil defence, ensuring a coordinated approach to any emergency or disaster management. Secondly, home guards will be assigned to SDRF for a period of two years to reinforce the system's capacity and resilience, a statement issued here said. "The state government is prioritising the strengthening of SDRF in view of the increasing frequency of cloudbursts and other natural disasters," Sukhu said in the statement. "The state government intends to make the system more organised and effective to safeguard lives and reduce losses. Himachal Pradesh is vulnerabl

Himachal CM dedicates development projects worth Rs 30.70 crore to state

Chief Minister highlighted the commitment of the state government for the welfare and upliftment of people of the state as well as residents of Kinnaur

Govt imposes 4 month on catching of trout fish in Himachal Pradesh

The Himachal Pradesh fisheries department on Friday imposed a four-month ban on catching trout fish in major rivers and their tributaries spread over 600 km in the state. "In order to promote the breeding of trout fish in the cold-water regions of Himachal Pradesh and to conserve this natural resource, a complete ban on trout fishing has been implemented from November 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025," Director Fisheries Vivek Chandekl said in a statement issued here. These include the Pabbar river in Shimla district, Beas, Sarvari, Parvati, Gadsa, and Sainj rivers in Kullu district, Uhal river in Mandi and Kangra districts, and Bhandal Nala in Chamba district, the statement said. Chandel said the ban is necessary to conserve trout fish during their natural breeding season, allowing for natural seed collection in reservoirs. This four-month ban will ensure the long-term preservation of Himachal Pradesh's fishery resources and boost trout fish production in the state, he added. He said

Govt making changes in education system for student's development: CM Sukhu

Chief Minister further said that in the financial year 2024-25, the education budget in the state has been increased by 17 per cent

HP govt to ensure 80% employment to locals in industrial units: Minister

The Himachal Pradesh government is ensuring that Himachalis are provided employment in all industrial, power and tourism units in the state, Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said here on Friday. Presiding over a review meeting of the labour and employment department here, Chauhan reiterated the resolve of the government to accelerate the pace of development and instructed the director of labour and employment to ensure 80 per cent employment to Himachalis in industrial units in the private sector, an official statement said. Expressing satisfaction over the digitisation of 100 per cent employment exchanges of the state, he said that the registration and renewal can now be done online and private employers can upload the details of vacancies in their organisations on the 'eemis' portal. Chauhan added that at present, 567 private organisations are registered on this portal. An amount of Rs 16.83 crore has been provided to 18,404 beneficiaries of the unemployment allowance sch

Himachal govt sent proposal to Centre to build 5 new NHs in state: Minister

The Himachal Pradesh government has sent a proposal to the Centre seeking approval for five new national highways in the state, Public Works and Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh said on Friday. Addressing a press conference here after holding a review meeting of his department, Singh said the construction of these proposed national highways will accelerate development in the hill state. "Efforts will be made to expedite the process by meeting Union Highways and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari," Singh said, as he expressed hope that the Centre will give its nod to the proposals soon. During the tenure of the previous BJP government in Himachal, 69 national highways were announced but none of those announcements saw the light of the day, Singh claimed. The Congress leader also said that a provision should be made to keep aside 25-30 per cent budget amount for all new projects so that development work can proceed uninterrupted. Claiming that foundation stones for m

Govt to pay full salary to doctors purusing PG course, says CM Sukhu

Earlier, a Cabinet decision had reduced the salary to 40 per cent for those on study leave

Flare-ups in HP reveal Cong not immune to communalism: Prashant Bhushan

Sectarian flare-ups in Himachal Pradesh is a proof that Congress is not immune to communal politics, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan said on Tuesday. The northern hill state is afflicted with Hindu-Muslim confrontations for over a month, ostensibly over a mosque in Sanjauli near Shimla which some partisan groups are demanding must be demolished. "The way this incident happened and spread to other parts of Himachal shows that due to the work done by the Hindutva organisations, communal poison has spread. So they could mobilise people. "It also shows that even Congress is not immune to this disease," Bhushan said at the launch of a fact-finding report which carried its investigations from HP. "Even Congress has people who are opportunistically communal, even if they do not have a communal ideology. They feel they can use communalisation for gaining votes," he said, terming the trend dangerous. He said that while Rahul Gandhi did Bharat Jodo Yatra, some leaders of his party were not

PWD, SJVNL sign MoU worth Rs 70 cr for road widening projects in Himachal

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth around Rs 70 crore has been signed between the state Public Works Department (PWD) and SJVN Ltd for the widening of various road projects in Himachal Pradesh on Monday. Presiding over the MoU signing ceremony here, PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh said that the MoU had been signed for the widening of Sunni-Luhri road, Gharat Nala-Khaira road, Shimla-Mandi road and Dhali-Devidhar road. In a statement issued here, he said that this MoU was a historic step towards improving the road infrastructure in both rural and urban areas of the state. He said that during his recent visit to Delhi, he had urged the Central government to declare five important roads including the Salapad-Tattapani-Sunni-Khaira-Luhri road, as national highways. "It would not only benefit the Karsog area but Ani, Kumarsain, Rampur and Kinnaur regions as well, " he said , adding that the road was near the China border which also makes it important from a strategic point of ...

Samarth 2024: We must learn to live with disasters, says CM Sukhu

Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency of disasters, and it is crucial to adapt to living with these challenges, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Monday. Presiding over the International Disaster Reduction Day event, 'Samarth-2024' here, he announced that a major State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) training institute will be established in Palampur. He emphasised that awareness is key to effectively responding to disasters and minimising the loss of life and property. The state government is spending a significant amount of money on disaster preparedness and awareness, he said in a statement issued here, adding a Rs 800-crore project is being executed in collaboration with the French agency Agence Franaise de Dveloppement (AFD), and Rs 500 crore is being spent from the mitigation fund. The CM said the region which is now Himachal Pradesh experienced its first major disaster in 1905, when an earthquake in Kangra claimed more than 20,000 lives. he said th

5 new bridges to enhance connectivity along India-China border: HP Governor

Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Saturday thanked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for dedicating 75 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) infrastructure projects to the nation, including five vital road bridges in the hill state. After virtually attending the inauguration event from the Raj Bhavan here, the governor in a statement highlighted the significance of the five vital bridges in enhancing connectivity and strategic preparedness along the India-China border. The bridges were inaugurated at Munni, Bhaga, Dogri, Habsar and Shalkhar-11 on National Highway-3 (Manali-Sarchu road), NH-5 (Powari-Shipkila road) and NH-505 (Khab-Sumdo-Kaza-Gramphoo road). The governor said these strategic bridges are not only vital for the swift movement of Army troops and equipment, but will also play a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the local population. The BRO completed the construction of these strategic projects in record time, Shukla said. Many of these projects ha

Himachal farmers pursuing natural farming to get Rs 33,000 to purchase cow

Farmers practising natural farming in Himachal Pradesh will receive a grant of Rs 33,000 for buying a cow, along with a subsidy of Rs 8,000 for paving the cowshed floor, ATMA official said on Thursday. "Farmers doing natural farming in the state will be given a grant of Rs 33,000 for buying a local cow besides a subsidy of Rs 8,000 for paving the floor of the cowshed," said Neha Bhardwaj, Assistant Technical Manager of the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), during an event at Manjhiar village. An awareness and mass sensitisation camp on natural farming was organised in Manjhiar, where Bhardwaj said that chemical fertilisers and poisonous pesticides should not be used in natural farming. Crops produced from natural farming are safer for health and it also reduces the cost of farming. By adopting this farming, farmers can increase their income and can also contribute to environmental protection, she said. She said that the main components of natural farming like ...

Himachal govt took loans worth Rs 27,000 crore in 18 months: Anurag Thakur

The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh took loans worth over Rs 27,000 crore in the last 18 months, former Union minister Anurag Thakur said on Monday. Thakur also made the sam allegation while addressing public meetings at several places in his parliamentary constituency Hamirpur, including in Nadaun, the home assembly seat of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, on Sunday evening. In a statement issued here on Monday, Thakur said, "During the tenure of only 18 months so far, the state government has taken a loan of more than Rs 27,000 crore, despite that this government does not have the budget to get development work done in the state." The BJP leader said the Congress government does not give anything, but it continuously makes plans to collect from the people. The condition of roads is bad in the entire state and the chief minister's assembly constituency Nadaun is no exception, he said. There is a burden of taxes everywhere, be it electricity, water, roads, education