Page 26 - Himachal Pradesh

HP: Lahaul-Spiti village land sinks, residents seek geological survey

With nine of the 16 houses in Lindur village in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul and Spiti district developing cracks due to land sinking, the residents have sought a geological survey to ascertain the reason behind the subsidence. The around 70 village residents are forced to sleep in the open as they fear their houses may collapse. Moreover, their agricultural land has also been damaged due to fissures, the villagers said. "Cracks were noticed in the periphery of the village in June/July and have widened and spread, endangering houses. Nine out of 16 houses in the village have developed cracks and four of them have been declared unsafe," Sarita, Pradhan of Goharama Gram Panchayat told PTI. The seepage of water from the nearby Jahmala nullah which gets flooded every year could be responsible for the cracks but it can only be ascertained by a survey of the Geological Department. We have requested the authorities to get a geological survey of the area done, she added. Cracks have developed

India vs New Zealand: BJP, Congress leaders attend match in Dharamshala

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur and BJP national president J P Nadda were in attendance

State now paying rain fury compensation from central funds: Anurag in HP

"The state government should make public the amount it sanctioned as financial assistance to the affected people during the first two months of the rain-induced calamity"

Sukhu releases Rs 9.72 cr to 324 affected families for house construction

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday released the first instalment of Rs 9.72 crore as special relief to 324 affected families in Kullu district for construction of houses. The state government provided the aid under its rehabilitation initiative 'Punrvaas' to families whose houses were completely damaged in rain-related disasters during the June 24 to September 30 period, a statement issued here said. An amount of Rs 3 lakh each was released to the 324 affected families through the direct benefit transfer method, it said. The Himachal government has announced a special relief package of Rs 4,500 crore for people affected by rain-related disasters during the monsoon season. He said over 75,000 stranded tourists were evacuated safely during the monsoon season. The state suffered a loss of more than Rs 12,000 crore and about 16,000 houses were damaged, out of which 13,000 were completely destroyed, Sukhu said. A third team of the central government has

ICMR explores drone use for medical supply transport in Himachal Pradesh

This initiative aims to explore the use of drones for transporting critical medical supplies such as medications, diagnostic blood samples, and sputum, according to an official release

Himachal govt to reduce special road tax on tourist vehicles: CM Sukhu

The Chief Minister urged those associated with tourism industry, to ensure their participation and co-operate making Himachal Pradesh 'a green and a clean state'

Over 1,000 HP cops fell victim to crypto fraud, quit jobs to promote it

Over a thousand police personnel fell victim to a fake local cryptocurrency created by fraudsters in Himachal's Mandi district, an official said on Thursday. A majority of the police personnel who invested in the fake cryptocurrency were duped of crores of rupees, but some of them made huge gains, became promoters of the scheme, and roped in more investors for it, according to investigators of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the scam. According to police, at least one lakh people have been duped by the fraudsters in the cryptocurrency fraud, and 2.5 lakh IDs have been found which included multiple IDs of the same person. To get investors, the scammers launched two cryptocurrencies 'Korvio Coin' (or KRO) and DGT Coin' and created fake websites with manipulated prices of these digital currencies. They lured the initial investors by promising them high returns in a short span of time. They also created a network of investors, who further expanded the chain

11 parties collect Rs 2,077 cr in funds for Gujarat, HP polls of 2022: ADR

The ADR analysis is based on the election expenditure statements that political parties must submit to the Election Commission within 75 days of completion of Assembly elections

HPMC procures 32454 MT apples under MIS: State horticulture minister

The Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) has procured 32,454 metric tonnes (MT) of apples so far under the Market Intervention Scheme 2023, state horticulture minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Tuesday. Despite the catastrophic rains in the state, HPMC has managed to lift the entire quantity of apples procured under the Scheme, he said. The HPMC has produced a record 1,288 MT Apple Juice Concentrate at its three fruit processing plants at Parala, Parwanoo and Jarol (Mandi) during the current apple season, he said in a statement issued here. Presiding over a meeting of the HPMC board of directors here, the minister formally launched the new web portal of HPMC Ltd. All services of HPMC, such as booking of controlled atmosphere/cold stores, Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) and the sale of horticulture inputs have been made online through the web portal. He said the trial and commissioning of the newly established HPMC fruit processing plan

Himachal govt identified 11 sites for developing eco-tourism: CM Sukhu

The Himachal Pradesh government has identified 11 sites for developing and promoting ecotourism in the state, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said. Presiding over a meeting of the Himachal Pradesh EcoTourism Society here on Monday evening, he said every eco-tourism destination will be developed in an area of one hectare. The sites identified include Swaar, Saurabh Van Vihar, Neugal Park, Bir-Billing in Palampur forest division, Kasol, Kheer Ganga and Sumarupa in Parvati forest division, Sojha in Seraj, Narkanda in Kotgarh, Shogi camping site and Potter Hill camping site under Shimla forest division. Himachal Pradesh is blessed with immense natural beauty and the eco-tourism would help in increasing tourist footfall and add to the state's revenue as well, Sukhu said, adding that it will also help in generating employment opportunities.

40 new schemes will revolutionize cooperative sector in HP: Ministry

Aiming to revolutionize the cooperative sector of the state, about 40 new schemes have been initiated in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Cooperation, an official said on Saturday. The Department of Cooperation has commissioned various new initiatives for Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) of the state, Secretary (Cooperation) C Palrasu said. The major initiatives include PACS as Jan Aushadhi Kendras, wherein generic medicines will be made available to the rural population at cheap rates. Almost 50 PACS have applied to get Jan Aushadhi Kendra in the state. In PACS as a common service centre scheme, the societies will function as Lok Mitra kendras, that will help the rural population in getting various kinds of certificates timely and cheaply at their doorstep. More than 80 societies are now functioning as common service centres in the state, a statement issued here said. Recently LPG and petrol pump retail licences have also been opened for PACS, he said and added

Health identity card for state citizens by November 30: Himachal Pradesh CM

The process of making health identity cards for everybody in the state containing their complete health history would be completed by November 30, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said. The card will provide the complete health information of the patient on a single click, he said, presiding over the closing ceremony of 'Stimulus' -- the annual programme of Indira Gandhi Medical College -- on Friday. According to a statement issued here on Saturday, he said the state government was bringing major reforms in the health sector. The Department of Emergency Medicine is being established to provide better health facilities and robotic surgery will soon be started in Super Specialty Hospital Chamyana and at IGMC Shimla, he said. He also released the poster for the Annual National Conference of India Public Health Association to be organised at Manali from March 15-17, 2024. Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil exhorted the students to serve the people of the state with full dedica

NGT forms panel, seeks report on construction of highway in HP floodplains

The National Green Tribunal has formed a panel and sought a report from it on the construction of a highway by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) allegedly in the floodplains of the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh. The tribunal was hearing a petition which alleged the NHAI is constructing a four-lane highway from Kiratpur to Manali and Pathankot to Mandi in a flood-prone area near the river. A bench of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said it was "proper" to "call for a report" from the authorities concerned on the issue. The bench then formed a joint committee comprising the executive engineer, (in-charge) of NHAI, an officer deputed by the member secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the member secretary of Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board( HPPCB). "Member Secretary, HPPCB will act as a nodal agency. The committee will examine the issue and submit the report before the tribunal within eight weeks,"

Himachal cabinet nods Rs 4,500 cr relief for affected families in Shimla

The state cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to a Rs 4,500 crore special relief package for the rain and landslide-affected families. The package was announced by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on September 30. This special package has been granted for the period June 24-September 30 when the state was ravaged by rain and landslides. The compensation for a completely damaged house has been increased from Rs 1.30 lakh to 7 lakh while compensation for partially damaged house has been increased from Rs 6,500 to Rs 1 lakh. The Cabinet in its meeting held here under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister also decided to provide two biswas of land in urban areas and three biswas of land in rural areas to people rendered homeless. Biswa is a unit of land measurement with 1 biswa equalling 1,350 square feet. Decision to promote "amateur" and community radios for alternate communication during emergency in all districts was also taken to provide effective information exchange between ..

Nitin Gadakri approves Rs 154 crore to build bridges in Himachal Pradesh

The Minister said with this approval, two bridges will be constructed on the Swan River at a cost of Rs 50.60 crore and Pong Dam on the Beas River at a cost of Rs 103.65 crore

Govt office wall in HP's Dharamsala defaced with pro-Khalistan graffiti

In a similar incident on September 27, Pro-Khalistan graffiti was found written on the walls at Delhi's Kashmiri Gate flyover, after which Delhi Police registered a case in the matter

Himachal CM distributes Rs 4.6 crore among over 2,000 orphan children

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here on Tuesday distributed Rs 4.68 crore among over 2,000 orphan children for various expenses such as hostel and education fees, an official statement said. The amount was directly transferred to the children's bank accounts during a state-level 'Mukhyamantri Sukh Aashray' function here presided over by the chief minister. The 'Mukhyamantri Sukh Ashraya Yojana' aims to provide comprehensive support to orphans, specially-abled children, destitute women, and elderly individuals in the state, the government release said. "In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, my government took a decision to adopt the orphans, the specially-abled children as the 'Children of the State' to work for their upliftment and well-being, giving them all parental care, besides taking care of the destitute women and elderly who have no one to look after," the chief minister was quoted as saying at the event. He added that under the 'Sukh Ashraya Yojana', ...

Long weekend spurs hotel occupancy in Shimla to 70%, recovery begins

The long weekend from September 30 to October 2 recorded over 70 per cent occupancy in hotels here, marking the beginning of the revival of tourism in the state capital. "The situation is improving. The room occupancy went over 70 per cent this weekend. We are hopeful that the tourist rush will increase in the coming days with the Shimla flying festival a paragliding accuracy competition which is going to be held in Junga in the suburbs of Shimla from October 12 to 15," Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association President MK Seth told The PTI on Tuesday. He said the starting of flights between Shimla and Amritsar on November 1 would further boost tourist footfall. Seth said he wants to advertise Shimla as a "treasure" of tourism activities and has plans to set up facilities for water sports in Sunni and adventure sports in Kufri. The opening of roads and resumption of the train service on the UNESCO heritage Kalka-Shimla railway has opened the floodgates for booking ...

Monsoon 2023: Himachal experienced highest number of floods, rain events

That has classified the June to September season as "below-normal"

Himachal Pradesh receives 61% of rainfall in July alone: Met Department

About 61 percent of the total normal rainfall from June 1 to September 30 was recorded in July alone this year, according to the data of the local Met department. The total normal rainfall from June 1 to September 30 is 734.4 mm of which 448.1 mm was recorded in July. Himachal Pradesh received 884.8 mm of rain against normal rainfall of 734.4 mm, an excess of 20 per cent since during the monsoon season in the same period. The state received 448.1 mm rainfall in July against normal rainfall of 256.8 mm, an excess of 75 per cent and 50.63 per cent of the total rainfall of 884.8 mm. During June, the state received 19 per cent excess rain, 75 per cent excess rain in July, four per cent deficit rain in August and 42 per cent deficit rain in September. As many as 45 flash floods including 26 in Kullu district alone occurred during July and seven during August. The 448.9 mm rainfall recorded in July was the highest rainfall witnessed by the state since 1980. Extremely heavy rainfall was