Page 38 - Himachal Pradesh

Himachal govt to decongest Shimla, project to cost over Rs 100 cr: CM 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 ..

Mass movement to be launched against drug menace in Himachal: Dy CM

Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Saturday said a mass movement will be launched in the state against the drug menace. Agnihotri said an 8-km long walk against the drug menace will be flagged off by Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla from Haroli to Kangar in the Haroli Assembly constituency on June 27. He also called upon the political leaders not to interfere with cases related to drug smuggling and ensure that no political pressure is put on authorities to save the chitta' smugglers. Talking to the media persons here, he said that being a border district, Una is vulnerable to drug smuggling and therefore the walk is significant. The theme of the program is Walk for Life - an initiative against drug addiction, the deputy chief minister informed. Thousands of students, various institutions and people from different sections of society will be a part of this walk, he said. Several events like slogan writing, painting competitions and others will be organised befo

Centralised Cell to be set up for sale and purchase of power: CM Sukhu

The Himachal Pradesh government would come up with a policy to attract private sector investment in the hydropower sector and a centralized cell will be set up for efficient management of sale and purchase of power to increase revenue, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Friday. Hydropower development is the key engine to the economic growth of the State as it makes a direct and significant contribution to the economy in terms of revenue generation, employment opportunities and enhancing the quality of life, he said in a statement issued here. It also aims to harness and commission 10,000 MW of hydro and renewable energy by 2030 to have an operational capacity of around 21,000 MW. Sukhu said that apart from power generation, the government was laying special focus on its distribution and sale of electricity. The State Government is laying stress on prioritizing revenue generation for the Himachal Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Limited (HPPTCL) through its ...

15,000 Apda Mitra, state volunteers to assist in emergency situation in HP

Over 15,000 'Apda Mitra' and state volunteers will assist in any emergency situation arising out of inclement weather in the state during the monsoon season, a senior Himachal Pradesh official said here on Wednesday. Presiding over a meeting on preparations for the impending monsoon season, Principal Secretary of the Revenue department Onkar Chand Sharma said it is an endeavour of the state government to ensure that not a single life is lost due to lack of preparedness. 'Apda Mitra' and other volunteers should be provided training and frequent workshops should be held, and there should be no delay in providing aid, grants and relief to the affected and needy people, he said. Sharma said those involved in disaster management and relief should make use of the 'Sachet' app, developed by the National Disaster Management Authority. The app provides quick weather-related alerts and issues do's and don'ts at the time of emergency at a particular place and time, officials said. In a state

HP CM announces Rs 20 lakh education loan for underprivileged students

The students, up to the age of 28 years, will be eligible to apply for the loan at a nominal interest rate of one per cent under the Mukhya Mantri Vidyarthi Protsahan Yojna

Sukhu flags off 20 new e-buses of HRTC, to replace 1,500 buses in phases

The capital city of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla now has 20 more electronic buses. With this, the total number of e-buses operational in the city has gone up to 70

HP cabinet nods to land acquisition for Kangra Airport's expansion

In the meeting, Cabinet also decided to open Government Degree College, Tauni Devi in the Hamirpur district

Himachal gives nod to land acquisition for expanding Gaggal airport

Himachal Cabinet led by CM Sukhu decided to go ahead with the land acquisition process for the expansion of the Gaggal airport in Kangra to boost the tourist traffic

Rs 250 cr milk plant to be set up in collaboration with NDDB: Himachal CM

The State government will collaborate with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to set up a state-of-the-art milk processing plant at Dagwar

Himachal partners with NDDB to set up state-of-the-art milk processing unit

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

Rain, thunderstorm likely in Himachal Pradesh in 4 days, says IMD

Amid heavy rainfall during the onset of the monsoon, the IMD has issued a rain alert for Himachal Pradesh over the next week. A thunderstorm warning has been issued for June 22 and June 23

Registration of migrant workers, vendors, hawkers mandatory in Hamirpur

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

Freak weather, hailstorms may impact flavour, quantities of Himachal apples

Himachal Pradesh may witness a 30-35 per cent decline in the apple crop besides flavour deterioration this year owing to freak weather conditions, say horticulture experts

HP BJP stages protest at Kangra demanding fair probe in Chamba murder case

BJP staged a protest at Kangra district headquarters in Himachal Pradesh against the state government demanding a fair investigation in the brutal murder case of a 21-year-old boy in Chamba

Govt mulls constructing all-weather connectivity to upper Shimla: CM Sukhu

The Himachal Pradesh government is mulling to construct tunnels to ensure all-weather connectivity to the upper areas of Shimla, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Saturday. Surveys will be conducted for the construction of tunnels under Kharapathar on Kotkhai-Hatkoti road as well as to connect the landlocked Dodra-Kawar area of the district, he said. A proposed tunnel on National Highway 705 under Kharapathar will reduce the distance from Shimla to Rohru by around 10 to 12 kilometres and ensure all-weather connectivity to the whole upper Shimla area, Sukhu said in a statement. Once this tunnel is completed, it will prove a boon not only for providing all-weather connectivity to this beautiful area but also facilitate the farmers to market their produce, he added. The tunnel will also open unexplored areas of the region like Chanshal, Kuppad, Giri Gang, Monal Danda, Samarkot, Khadrala, Sungri, Chunjar and Hatkoti for the tourists during winter months when snow decorates

BJP stage protest in Himachal, demand NIA probe in Chamba murder case

BJP leaders on Saturday staged a protest at Kangra district headquarters in Himachal Pradesh, demanding a probe by the National Investigation Agency in the Chamba murder case. The protesting leaders and workers also submitted a memorandum to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla. The opposition party has demanded the immediate arrest of the main accused and called for a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Criticising the functioning of the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government, the BJP leaders accused the administration of obstructing the Opposition leaders, including the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, from entering Salooni town in Chamba to meet the family of a murder victim. The chopped body of Manohar, a resident of Bhandal village, was found in a drain in Bandal panchayat of Salooni on June 8, two days after he went missing. The 28-year-old was murdered over a love affair. Police have arrested three persons, including Hussain. Th

Situation tense in Chamba after youth killed over inter-community affair

Situation in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district remained tense on Friday after the murder of a 21-year-old man for loving a woman from another community

Framing new tourism policy to promote lesser-known places: Himachal CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Thursday said the government was actively considering framing a new tourism policy to promote lesser-known destinations.

Himachal CM to ensure high-quality construction in new PWD projects

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday instructed the Public Works Department (PWD) officials to prioritise the construction of tunnels for new road projects to ensure high-quality construction. Sukhu, who presided over a review meeting with the PWD officials virtually from Shimla, also stressed the need for constructing ropeways in the state, a statement issued here said. He informed that after the formation of the new government in the state, projects for the construction of 62 roads with an outlay of Rs 336 crore have been sanctioned till now under the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Moreover, the state government has sanctioned Rs 97 crore to decongest the circular road of Shimla city to facilitate the commuters, he added. Reviewing the progress of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-3, he said that the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of 45 roads with an estimated cost of Rs 422 crore have been approved for the state a

Prepare SOP for extraction of dry trees from forest: CM Sukhu to officials

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu asked officials to formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure effective marking, extraction and disposal of dry trees, a statement issued here on Tuesday said. Sukhu's directions came during a review meeting of the Forest Department and Himachal Pradesh State Forest Development Corporation (HPSFDC) on Wednesday. Presiding over the meeting, Sukhu said to generate revenue, the timely extraction of dried-out trees from the forest before their natural decomposition was the need of the hour. Currently, the state has around 87,000 salvage trees on the forest land, which can produce around 64,000 cubic meters of timber, the CM said. He emphasised the monthly marking of such trees to facilitate their timely extraction and disposal. Sukhu directed the forest department and HPSFDC to collaborate with each other for the timely extraction of dry trees. For early disposal on a pilot basis, he suggested granting the forest ..