Page 7 - Himachal Pradesh

Three people missing as cloudbursts create havoc in Himachal's Kullu

Three people were washed away as cloudbursts led to flash floods in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on Wednesday, damaging several houses, a school building, connecting roads and small bridges, officials said. Three cloudbursts incidents were reported from Jeeva Nallah and Rehla Bihal in Sainj and Shilagarh in Gadsa area of Kullu district. Three people in Rehla Bihal trying to take away their valuables from their homes were washed away in the deluge and are missing, the officials said. There were also flash floods in Manali and Banjar in the district. Teams are at the spot and search operations are underway, said Kullu Additional District Commissioner (ADC) Ashwani Kumar. There were also reports of a flash flood in the Brahma Ganga drain in Manikaran valley. Water levels have reached several houses and could cause damage if they don't recede soon. Videos of heavy floods at several places in Kullu show the extent of the damage. In one, a vehicle can be seen floating in muddy ...

Centre allocates over Rs 2000 cr to Himachal for 2023 floods, landslides

A high-level committee, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has approved Rs 2,006.40 crore in central assistance for Himachal Pradesh for recovery and reconstruction efforts following the devastating floods, landslides, and cloudburst of 2023. The committee, comprising Union Finance and Agriculture Ministers and the Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog as members, considered the proposal for financial assistance to the state from the recovery and reconstruction funding window under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), an official statement said. The high-level committee has approved the recovery plan of Rs 2,006.40 crore to Himachal Pradesh, which will help the state in carrying out recovery and reconstruction activities, arising due to damage and destruction occurred during the 2023 monsoon due to floods, cloudbursts and landslides, it said. Of this, Rs 1,504.80 crore will be the central share from the recovery and reconstruction funding window under the NDRF, it added. On

Nagpur girl, 12, falls off zipline in Manali after harness rope snaps

The girl was reportedly vacationing with her family in Manali. She fell while riding a zipline after the rope connected to a harness she wore snapped

Himachal CM lays foundation stone for zoo, announces Rs 100 cr for Kangra

While addressing the public gathering, CM Sukhu also criticised the previous BJP-led government and accused the Centre of ignoring the state's needs

Return used packs, get paid: Himachal's new policy to tackle mountain trash

The Himachal Pradesh cabinet has launched 'Deposit Refund Scheme 2025', offering cash refunds for returned non-biodegradable packaging to tackle waste

Urgent need for processing units as cherry harvesting picks up in Himachal

As cherry harvesting is in full swing, horticulturists as well as farmers in upper Shimla region see an urgent need for fruit processing units at village level to protect the crops from the impact of unpredictable weather conditions. Cherry growers are getting good prices for their crops ranging between Rs 100 to Rs 1,000 per box (each weighing between 400 and 650 grams). However, they often have to struggle with logistics issues while sending the crops to the markets due to sudden change in weather conditions. According to experts, setting up small-scale processing units at local level will help farmers in getting their crops processed quickly. Cherry is considered a high-value fruit crop in Himachal Pradesh in the months of April and May but due to short shelf life, timely transportation of produce to the market becomes important. At present, about 500 hectares of land in Himachal Pradesh are under Cherry cultivation which adds up to Rs 200 crore to the state's economy. Cherries

Venus Remedies gets GMP renewal certification from Ukraine's SMDC

Pharma major Venus Remedies on Saturday said it has successfully renewed its good manufacturing practices (GMP) certification from Ukraine's State Service on Medicines and Drugs Control (SMDC). The certification applies to the company's Unit-II manufacturing facility located in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, covering its cephalosporin, non-cephalosporin (carbapenem), and oncology parenteral production lines, including liquid and lyophilized injections, Venus Remedies said in a statement. "Renewal of the Ukrainian GMP certification underlines our unwavering commitment to maintaining world-class manufacturing standards. This milestone not only reinforces our foothold in the Ukrainian market but also facilitates deeper penetration into PIC/S markets, significantly enhancing our international growth prospects," Venus Remedies President, Global Critical Care, Saransh Chaudhary said. Ukraine, being a member of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) consortium, comprising 56 .

HPBOSE revising Class 12 results due to answer key discrepancies in English

HPBOSE will revise the Class 12 results after some students secured low marks. The board official said 'human error' led to the discrepancies during the evaluation process of the English paper

HPBOSE 10th results 2025 released today at hpbose.org, steps to download

The Himachal Pradesh board is reportedly going to announce the HPBOSE 10th, 12th results 2025 today. Here's all you need to know

Blackout advisory issued in Bilaspur amid rising tensions with Pakistan

Amid soaring tensions between India and Pakistan, the Bilaspur district administration in Himachal Pradesh on Friday issued an advisory prioritising the safety and security of citizens. In the advisory, District Magistrate Rahul Kumar appealed to the residents to ensure a complete blackout in their respective areas to minimise risks in the event of a potential aerial attack. Bilaspur shares a boundary with Punjab, a border state that has been put on high alert following the escalating tensions with Pakistan. As per the guidelines issued by the administration, all lights, both outdoor and indoor, must be turned off during night hours, while citizens have been advised to remain in sheltered locations and avoid unnecessary travel. Vehicular movement should be halted at night to facilitate the smooth functioning of security forces in case of any emergency, the advisory said. This advisory has been issued in public interest. The administration requests strict compliance from all reside

Centre steps in as home secy calls emergency meet on Haryana water crisis

It was further agreed that during the dam-filling period, BBMB will compensate Punjab with an equivalent amount of excess water to address any additional requirements

HPBOSE 12th result 2025: Will HP Board Class 12 results be announced today?

The date and time of the release of Class 12th Result 2025 have not yet been announced by HPBOSE. The Himachal Pradesh Class 12th examination this year was held from March 4 to March 29, 2025

Panchayat poll candidates obligated to disclose info on pending cases: SC

The Supreme Court has upheld a decision of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, which said the candidates contesting panchayat elections were obligated to disclose information about the pending cases against them. A bench of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh made the remarks while affirming the decision of the Himachal Pradesh High Court to uphold the dismissal of the 'pradhan' (head) of the Pangna village panchayat in Mandi district. The high court on October 16, 2024, held that the concealment of material facts by the petitioner amounted to "corrupt practice" under the provisions of Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, and was another valid ground to declare his election null and void. The top court said, "We fail to find any merit as far as the petitioner's challenge to the impugned order(s) and judgment(s) of the high court are concerned. We say so for the reason that the regulations framed by the State Election Commission have rightly been held by the high court to be

Himachal govt slams Nadda, says claims over medical park funds 'misleading'

The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh lashed out at Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Sunday over his claim about the non-utilisation of Central funds for building a medical device park in the state, terming it an attempt at "misleading" people. Earlier in the day, Nadda, who also the BJP's national president, chastised Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu dispensation in the state as the "most corrupt" and claimed that it had returned to the Centre a sum of Rs 25 crore allocated for the construction of a medical device park. Also, the state government failed to utilise Rs 225 crore released till 2023 out of the Rs 1,000 crore allocated to the state for a bulk drug park, he has alleged. Reacting to the accusations, Himachal Pradesh Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, in a joint press conference, underlined that the Congress government has decided to execute the project independently. The Himachal Pradesh government has not cancelled t

JP Nadda rules out return to Himachal politics amid BJP leadership shift

With the party expected to soon elect his successor, BJP chief J P Nadda on Sunday ruled out a return to Himchal Pradesh politics. "I am in a responsible position and there is no possibility of coming back to the state," Nadda, who was elected BJP's national president in February 2020 and has been on an extension since his three-year term ended, said at a press conference here. The BJP is in the process of picking the chiefs of several state units in the coming days to pave the way for the election of its national president, sources said earlier this week. Once the appointment is made in some of the states, the process for electing Nadda's replacement will begin soon, a party leader had said. The state BJP president would be elected soon, Nadda said while replying to a question on Sunday. He attacked the Himachal Government, alleging that it was the "most corrupt" among the Congress governments in the country. Nadda claimed that the Congress government in the state has given ...

This IAS officer hosted a private Holi party - and billed the state for it

Prabodh Saxena, Himachal Pradesh's top bureaucrat, billed ₹1.22 lakh to the state exchequer for a Holi party attended by officers and families, sparking backlash over misuse of public funds

Rights groups alarmed over Himachal forest official's letter on FRA

Several tribal and forest rights organisations in Himachal Pradesh have written to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, objecting to a letter issued by the state's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests which, they claim, misinterprets the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and could harm the recognition of rightful forest dwellers. The Forest Rights Act, 2006, recognises the rights of tribal and forest-dependent communities over the land they have lived on and protected for generations. However, its implementation has been marked by violations, with a large number of claims wrongly rejected. The groups, which include Himdhara Collective, Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, Van Adhikar Manch and others, said the forest department's letter, dated April 11 and addressed to all deputy commissioners and forest officers in the state, goes beyond its authority. They demanded immediate withdrawal of the forest department's letter and called for a trust-building process. Calling the letter "an unnecessary and unwarran

Finalised cases can't be reopened or justice system will face chaos: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said finality of a litigation is a core facet of a sound judicial system and a case that has concluded cannot be reopened, otherwise there will be "chaos in the administration of justice". A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed a writ petition filed by former employees of the Himachal Pradesh State Forest Development Corporation Limited, seeking pensionary benefits despite the issue having attained finality in a separate round of litigation in 2016. "It is crystal clear that the present writ petition is thoroughly misconceived and is liable to be dismissed. However, before parting with the record, we would like to emphasize and reiterate the principle of finality of an adjudication process. Finality of a lis is a core facet of a sound judicial system. Litigation which had concluded or had reached finality cannot be reopened," the bench said. It added that a litigant aggrieved by a decision rendered by this court in a

Himachal Day 2025: History, significance and 5 best places to visit

India marks 78th Himachal Day today, commemorating the state's formation as a province post-independence; April 15 is observed as a public holiday in the state

SFJ warns Himachal CM against Ambedkar birth anniversary celebrations

Banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has issued a warning to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, asking him to stop all celebrations related to the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar on April 14 in the state. In a letter shared with the media, SFJ also announced a reward of Rs 11 lakh for anyone who raises the Khalistan flag at the Ambedkar statue located in Chaura Maidan near the state assembly here on April 14. "Cancel all Bhim Jayanti-related events organized by public or educational institutions, and remove Ambedkar's name and image from all state-controlled entities," said the SFJ letter dated April 9, a copy of which is with PTI. The SFJ has asked the state government to take this message "seriously". "Failure to comply will prompt formal complaints to international human rights bodies and legal action against responsible institutions," it warned. According to the letter, Ambedkar, while drafting the Indian Constitution, "inserted Article 25(b),