Page 26 - Himachal Pradesh

Himachal to provide LPG kits, ration to people affected by heavy rain

People affected by heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh will get free LPG kits and ration, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu announced on Saturday. The provision of free ration will be extended till March 31, 2024, to ensure that families have access to basic food necessities, a statement issued here said. Gas connection kits with LPG cylinders and ration would be provided free of cost to the affected families hit by rain-related incidents in the state, Sukhu said. The government is committed to ensuring that disaster-affected families have access to essential cooking facilities without any financial burden, he said. The kits include an LPG cylinder, pressure regulator, and a hot plate among others, according to the statement. The chief minister said the government has also initiated efforts to relocate affected families from relief camps to more suitable rented accommodations and provide financial assistance of Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 for rural and urban areas.

Himachal govt to provide collateral-free loan to small-scale enterprises

The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday announced the launch of a scheme to offer collateral-free loans to small-scale enterprises and skill-based workers such as cobblers, tailors, barbers and vegetable vendors. The state government has earmarked Rs 40 crore for the Mukhya Mantri Laghu Dukandar Kalyan Yojna (MMLDKY) and said that it will target the inclusion of 75,000 individuals falling in the 18-55 age bracket in its initial phase, a statement issued here on Saturday said. The government has devised a comprehensive scheme to offer collateral-free loans, aiming to financially fortify small scale enterprises and would provide accessible loans of up to Rs 50,000 with a substantial 50 per cent interest subsidy, the statement added. "The scheme aims to empower small entrepreneurs and uplift the state's economy", Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said. He added that the government envisions providing vital support to those who often face hurdles in accessing financial resource

Grateful to Priyanka for writing to PM for calamity-hit Himachal: CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said he was grateful to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for strongly advocating for the calamity-hit state in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He thanked her for her appeal to the prime minister to declare the destruction caused by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh a "national disaster", just like the Kedarnath tragedy of 2013. Close on the heel of her two-day visit to flood and landslide-hit areas of Mandi, Kullu and Shimla districts, Gandhi sent a letter to the prime minister on Friday, detailing the destruction suffered by the hill state during the ongoing monsoon. The Congress leader, in her letter, also sought financial assistance for providing relief to the victims and their families as well as for rebuilding the state. "I was pained to see the plight of affected people during my visit to rain-affected areas," Gandhi said in her letter," she wrote to Modi. She added that the state is .

Himachal CM Sukhu donates all his savings to state disaster relief fund

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday donated all his savings worth Rs 51 lakh to the state disaster relief fund to extend a helping hand to the people affected by natural calamities, according to a statement. The chief minister and his wife Kamlesh Thakur presented a cheque of Rs 51 lakh to Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena at their official residence here, the statement issued here said. "I could well understand the pain of the people and their plight during the recent monsoon fury in which more than 260 precious lives were lost and many rendered homeless, besides suffering huge losses," he said. Every section of society had voluntarily contributed towards the relief fund. Even children broke their piggy banks to help those in distress, the elders parted with their pension and the state government employees contributed generously from their salary to contribute towards the Aapda Raahat Kosh (disaster relief fund), he said. Earlier, the governments of Bihar

MeT sounds yellow alert in Himachal, cautions of floods in Sirmaur

Six districts of Himachal Pradesh are likely to receive heavy rains on Friday, the meteorological office here said while issuing a yellow alert and cautioned of flash floods in Sirmaur district. The MeT warned of heavy rains at isolated places in Mandi, Bilaspur, Chamba, Kangra, Solan and Sirmaur districts on Friday. A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from the night of September 15, it added. Predicting a wet spell in the region till September 21, the weather department has forecast light to moderate rains in the low and mid hills of the state and moderate rain or snowfall in the higher reaches. It also cautioned of damage to standing crops, fruit plants, and young plants and advised farmers to reschedule the spraying of insecticides. Monsoon remained normal in the state on Thursday and light to moderate rains lashed some parts. During the ongoing monsoon season, Himachal Pradesh received 840.6 mm of rain from June 1 to September 15 against a normal .

Declare Himachal calamity 'national disaster': Priyanka Gandhi to PM Modi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to declare the destruction caused by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh a "national disaster", just like the Kedarnath tragedy of 2013. In a letter to Modi, Gandhi also sought financial assistance for providing relief to the victims and their families as well as for rebuilding the state. Flash floods and landslides triggered by the rains wreaked havoc in Kullu and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh on July 14 and 15. Gandhi, who visited the affected areas earlier this week, said apart from being the land of gods, Himachal Pradesh is also a state of true, simple and hardworking people. "The women, farmers, employees, businesspersons and youth of Himachal are very hardworking and self-respecting. Today, the same people are facing an unprecedented crisis. Floods and landslides have caused massive destruction in the state," the Congress general secretary said in her letter to the prime ...

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Cong to raise issue of special relief package for Himachal: Priyanka Gandhi

A special session of the parliament will be held from September 18 to 22

CM Sukhu urges Centre to declare calamity in Himachal as national disaster

He said that there has been huge devastation in the state due to heavy rain and flood. He said that the government is making changes in the manual to provide relief to the disaster affected

Demand for declaring HP crisis as disaster to be raised in Parl: Priyanka

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said that party MP from Mandi, Pratibha Singh, would raise in the special session of Parliament the demand for declaring the recent calamity in Himachal Pradesh a "national disaster". However, Gandhi said she was not sure if the party MP would be allowed to raise the demand during the session. A special session of Parliament will be held from September 18 to 22. We do not know what the session is about and whether she (Pratibha Singh) would be allowed to raise the issue or not but even if this does not happen, we should make a strong representation to the Centre on it and the Congress would fully support it, she told reporters during her visit to the Shiv temple site in Summer Hill here. Gandhi also met the families affected by the landslide. Twenty people were killed in the landslide at the Shiv temple on August 14. Three landslides had claimed 27 lives in Shimla city with Fagli and Krishnanagar slides claiming five and two ...

Experts to be roped in for in-depth study of landslides in Himachal

Experts from the Geological Survey of India, IIT Ropar and Wadia Institute of Seismology will be roped in for an in-depth study of landslides in Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Tuesday. In the ongoing monsoon season, 111 people died in 165 landslides between June 24 and September 11, according to state emergency operation centre data. There are 17,120 landslide-prone sites in the state and 675 of these are near critical infrastructure and habitations, the data showed. Expressing concern over the landslides, the officials said the study would examine the reason behind land subsidence at nearly 200 places where there is no construction. Experts from the Geological Survey of India, Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar and Wadia Institute of Seismology will be roped in for an in-depth study of landslides in the state, Principal Secretary (revenue) Onkar Chand Sharma told PTI. Meanwhile, a committee constituted last month to study the causes of landslides in Shimla city said in it

HP landslide: Apples, peas from Kinnaur being transported through ropeway

Apples and peas are being transported by a ropeway in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnnaur after a major landslide blocked the national highway connecting the district to state capital Shimla. After the successful trial of the ropeway (span) on Monday, apples, peas and other crops would be transported through the ropeway at Negulsari free of cost so that the produce reaches the markets and no loss is caused to farmers, Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Tuesday. Negi, who is also the sitting Congress MLA from Kinnaur, said over 20 apple-laden trucks have been diverted from Kaza-Kunzum road. The ropeway has been set up at Krampa in Negulsari to Dhumti on Chaura-Rupi link road. Machinery has been deployed on both sides of the landslide-hit road and majority of the stretch has been cleared but the rocky 70-metre path is creating hindrance as the slide is continuing, he told PTI. The minister also directed officials to arrange for transportation of all essential items s

Priyanka to visit flood-hit areas in Mandi, Kullu to oversee relief work

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will visit the flood-affected areas of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi and Kullu districts on Tuesday and oversee relief and restoration works. She would also interact with the flood victims at the Aloo ground in Manali. Flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains had wreaked havoc in Kullu and Mandi districts on July 14 and 15. Gandhi, who arrived at the Bhuntar airport in Kullu this morning, stopped to receive flowers from local women at the airport and also spoke with Congress workers and local growers about apple production, transportation and rates of boxes. The Congress leader had recently alleged that apple boxes in Himachal Pradesh are being sold at one third rates after the Adani Group released the procurement price, and asked why the prime minister is not doing anything for them. Gandhi was accompanied by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh. The Congress leader would also v

Himachal to provide rented accommodation for families in relief camps

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said that the state government would provide rented accommodation

Himachal CM requests PM to declare rain-caused havoc as national disaster

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the rain-caused calamity in the hill state as a national disaster. Sukhu was the only chief minister from the Congress-ruled states who attended a dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for G20 leaders on Saturday. In a post on X on Sunday, he said: "Had the privilege of addressing the grave aftermath of torrential rains in Himachal Pradesh during my conversation with Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji after our G20 Summit dinner. I also requested a special disaster relief package and emphasised the need to designate this calamity as a 'national disaster', highlighting the urgency of the situation." Sukhu, who had earlier said Himachal Pradesh had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore due to rain-related incidents this monsoon, has been demanding that the calamity be declared as a national disaster and a special disaster package be announced on the lines of thos

NH-5 in Himachal blocked due to landslide near Nigulsari in Kinnaur

National Highway 5 was completely blocked near Nigulsari in Kinnaur district. About 380 meters of the National Highway completely caved, which disrupted vehicular movement

Landslips in Himachal Pradesh due to people eating meat: IIT Mandi director

In a video clip, Laxmidhar Behera can be seen talking to students and asking them not to eat meat

Centre sanctions outlay of Rs 1,164 cr for IDS for Himachal, Uttarakhand

These incentives include the Central Capital Investment Incentive for Access to Credit (CCIIAC) at 30 per cent of the investment in Plant and Machinery with an upper limit of Rs 5.00 crore

IIT-Mandi director Behera not fit to hold the position: Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said IIT-Mandi Director Laxmidhar Behera is not fit to hold the position after he purportedly claimed that cloudbursts and landslides in Himachal Pradesh are happening because people eat meat. Sharing a news report on the statement made by Behera, Ramesh said on X that the longer he stays in office "more the damage he will do to the spirit of scientific temper". "The PM spoke of plastic surgery being known to our ancestors. He also told children climate has not changed, while we have. A senior Minister confused Newton and Einstein while another justified excluding Darwin from textbooks. "Now, this simply flabbergasting statement from the Director of a prestigious institution!!! He actually has shown he is not fit to hold the position. The longer he stays, more the damage he will do to the spirit of scientific temper," Ramesh posted. Science and spirituality is one thing, but science and crackpot theories that are put out by people in positi

Cloudbursts in Himachal happening because people eat meat: IIT Director

IIT Mandi Director Laxmidhar Behera has stirred a controversy after he asked students to take a pledge not to eat meat while claiming that landslides and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh are happening because of cruelty on animals. "Himachal Pradesh will have a significant downfall...if we do. Not stop butchering animals. You are butchering animals there... the innocent animals. It has a symbiotic relationship with the degradation of the environment as well... which you cannot see right now but is there... "It is having landslides, cloudbursts and many other things again and again, these are all effects of cruelty on animals...people eat meat," Behra said while addressing the students, a video of which is doing the rounds on social media. "To become good human beings, what you have to do? No to meat eating," he further said and then went on to ask the students to vow not to eat meat. There was no response from Behera on the controversy. His comments attracted criticism from ...