Page 5 - Shimla

Hotel occupancy goes up to 90% as tourists head to Shimla to escape heat

Occupancy in hotels has increased to about 90 per cent in Shimla during the weekend as vacationers are making a beeline to the 'queen of hills' to escape the scorching heat. While the hotel occupancy here went up on Saturday, the summer rush during weekdays is yet to pick up, vice president of Shimla Hotel and Restaurant Association Prince Kukreja told PTI. The peak summer tourist season starts from April 15 onwards till June 15 in Himachal Pradesh. The summer vacations in the schools in the plain areas also start from May end and a large number of people take to the hills to beat the heat. The majority of the people are coming on short notice and there is a decline in advance bookings, Kukreja said. The room occupancy is about 80-90 per cent on weekends but it drops to 30-40 per cent during the weekdays, said M K Seth, president of the Tourism Industry Stakeholders Association. A total of 1,57,335 vehicles entered and exited Shimla from Shoghi Barrier on Chandigarh-Shimla road si

Shimla chose CM Sukhu over PM Modi, says Himachal Industries minister

The people of Shimla chose Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu over Prime Minister Narendra Modi by giving a massive mandate to the Congress in the civic elections, Industries Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan said on Friday. Addressing reporters here, Chauhan said the BJP had turned the Shimla Municipal Corporation election into a Modi-versus-Sukhu battle. The BJP put up hoardings of the prime minister and sought votes in his name but Shimla residents voted for good governance and the Congress' ideology, he said. The Congress won 24 of the 34 wards in the Shimla Municipal Corporation. The BJP won nine wards and the CPI(M) one while the AAP, which had contested from 21 seats, drew a blank. Chauhan further said that the BJP's Himachal Pradesh leadership has failed thrice in the past two years -- the 2021 bypolls, 2022 assembly polls and the 2023 civic elections in Shimla. The minister said Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh and people from all districts and ..

Over 43% of electorate cast votes in Shimla civic polls elections till 2 pm

More than 43 per cent of the electorate cast their votes in the Shimla Municipal Corporation elections till 2 pm on Tuesday, officials said. Polling in 34 wards began at 8 am. Rain in the morning hours played a spoilsport but polling picked up as the day progressed and weather improved, they said, adding 43.60 per cent voters cast their votes till 2 pm. The results of the elections, which are being held on party symbols, will be declared on Thursday. The civic body's five-year term ended in June 2022 but the elections were delayed by 11 months. The state's ruling Congress and the BJP are the main rivals in these elections. The BJP accused the Congress of influencing the election process and lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission against changing of the sequence of names in electronic voting machines in two wards. The Congress dismissed the charge as "ridiculous". BJP state president Rajiv Bindal said that the sequence of names of BJP candidates in EVMs have been cha

BJP looks to retain control, Congress seeks to consolidate hold in Shimla

A little over 90,000 voters will determine the fate of 102 candidates from 34 wards contesting the Shimla Municipal Corporations elections, scheduled to be held on Tuesday. The results of the elections, which are being held on party symbols, will be declared on Thursday. According to State Election Commission data, 93,920 voters are registered to exercise their franchises in the elections. These include 49,759 male and 44,161 female voters at 153 polling booths. Vikas Nagar ward has the maximum number of voters at 4,161 while Malyana has the lowest at 1,166. During the campaigning for the elections, the contesting parties have made lofty promises to the electorate. From highways to skywalks and parks to parking spots, the parties made a plethora of promises during roadshows, street corner meetings and door-to-door campaigns. The Congress has promised to introduce policies for the regularisation of multi-storey buildings and a uniform tax regime for both old and merged areas, a rop

BJP failed to develop Shimla; Cong leader Shukla ahead of Municipal polls

Shimla will be given a facelift on the lines of foreign hill stations if the Congress is voted to power in the May 2 Shimla Municipal Corporation elections, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla said on Friday. The BJP, which controlled the civic body, in addition to being in power at the Centre and in the state, failed to develop Shimla town, he charged and alleged that there was corruption in the utilisation of Smart City Mission funds. The Congress came to power in the state defeating the BJP in December last year. Addressing mediapersons here, Shukla said that problems related to water, road, traffic and parking would be resolved by a Congress-led civic board. Claiming that the BJP was seeking votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he asked weather Modi would construct parking lots or regulate traffic in Shimla town. Shimla city which has been turned into a concrete jungle has lost its glory, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sing

250 evacuated as fire breaks out at new OPD building of IGMCH in Shimla

A fire broke out at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) here on Thursday after two cooking gas cylinders exploded in the cafeteria, leading to the evacuation of about 250 people from the new OPD building, officials said. No casualty has been reported in the incident that took place in the new Outdoor Patient Department (OPD) building of the hospital, they said. Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Public Works Department) Sanjay Awasthi visited the medical facility after the incident and directed the medical superintendent of IGMCH to conduct an inquiry and submit the report at the earliest. He said that leakage in the gas cylinders led to the fire and also directed the hospital administration to take strict action against the manager of the cafeteria for negligence. The blasts occurred when OPD services had just started. Within 15-20 minutes, about 250 people, including patients, were evacuated with the help of hospital staff and others, IGMCH Medical Superintendent .

102 candidates in the fray for 34 seats in Shimla municipal polls on May 2

A total of 102 candidates are in the fray for the May 2 Shimla Municipal Corporation polls after the last day of withdrawal of nomination papers on Friday. Polling for the 34 seats in the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) will be held on May 2, and votes will be counted on May 4. The ruling Congress and the BJP are contesting on all the wards and there is a direct contest between them in 10. The AAP and the CPI(M) have fielded candidates from 21 and four wards respectively, while nine independents, including Congress rebel and former mayor Sohan Lal who is contesting from Krishna Nagar and BJP rebel Aarti Chauhan from the Engine Ghar ward, are in the fray. The elections are being contested on party symbols and the highest number of six candidates is contesting from the Krishna Nagar ward. Triangular contests are on the cards in 12 wards. The first elections to the SMC were held in 1986 and the Congress party controlled the civic body till 2017. The BJP came to power for the first

President declares Rashtrapati Niwas in Shimla open for general public

Amid a heavy hailstorm, President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday officially declared the Rashtrapati Niwas here open for the general public, and said people will be allowed to visit from April 23. Murmu announced this during the 'At Home' ceremony hosted by her at the 173-year-old heritage building located at Chhabra in Mashobra block of Shimla district. Key attractions for tourists include the main building, official dining halls and artifacts. Other highlights include nature trails and the orchards at the Rashtrapati Niwas. People will be able to visit the retreat by paying a nominal fee Rs 50 per person for Indian nationals and Rs 250 per person for foreign nationals, officials said. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and cabinet colleagues, MLAs, senior civil and police officers of the state, senior military officers and other prominent people of the town attended the 'At Home' function. Earlier in the day, the President visited th

Congress releases third list of candidates for Shimla Municipal elections

Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee on Sunday announced the third list of candidates for the Shimla Municipal Corporation elections

Shimla civic polls: BJP releases list of 24 candidates, Cong names 9 more

The BJP on Wednesday released its first list of 24 candidates, which included 16 women, for the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) polls while the Congress named nine more nominees for the civic body elections slated to be held on May 2. BJP leader Ganseh Dutt, who is the president of the "Drishti Patra" committee for the polls said the party would fight the election on issues of drug-free Shimla, cleanliness and clean drinking water. He also said that suggestions are being sought from the people to finalise the party's vision document. The BJP's list of candidates included Saroj Thakur (Ruldu Bhatta), Sapna Kashyap (Annadale), Shelly Thakur (Summer Hill), Minakshi Goyal (Totu), Nirmala Chauhan (Majath), Kiran Bawa (Boileauganj), Alka Kanwar (Kachhi Ghati), Hema Kashyap (Nabha), Kalyan Dhiman (Phagli), Bittu Panna (Krishna Nagar), Bharti Sood (Lower Bazar), Anup Vaid (Benmore) and Satya Kaundal (Sanjauli Chowk). The other candidates are Kamlesh Mehta (Upper Dhalli), Seema (Lower ..

Hotel occupancy goes up to 80% in Shimla, gives rise to traffic in state

Occupancy in hotels and homestays has increased to about 80 per cent as tourists from the neighbouring states are making a beeline to Shimla to enjoy the long weekend under the bracing climate. The influx of tourists in the hill town is causing traffic jams on the main roads, including the Shimla-Kalka National Highway and long queues of vehicles moving at a snail's pace are causing inconvenience to both the locals and the vacationers. Vice President of Shimla Hotel and Restaurant Association Prince Kukreja told PTI that the hotel occupancy has increased to about 80 per cent in Shimla and the peak summer tourist season will start from April 15 onwards till June 15. As temperatures have started rising in the plains the visitor rush is picking up ahead of tourist season. Vehicles parked on the roads and in front of hotels by the tourists coming without advance booking coupled with construction going on under the Shimla Smart City project have become major traffic bottlenecks. A numb

Elections in Shimla Municipal Corporation on May 2, results on May 4

Elections in 34 wards of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) will be held on May 2 and the results will be declared on May 4, as per the Himachal Pradesh state election commission. According to the schedule released by the commission, filing of nominations will take place on April 13, 17 and 18 between 11 am and 3 pm, and scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on April 19. About 87,000 voters will be able to exercise their franchise in the polls, it said. The last date of withdrawal of nomination is April 21 and the symbols would be allotted on the same day. The elections would be held on May 2 and results would be declared on May 4. The Himachal Pradesh government had on Saturday notified reserved wards for women and Scheduled Castes for the 34-ward Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC). Only 14 wards are unreserved while three are reserved for Scheduled caste. The BJP had wrested the SMC from the Congress after 32 years in 2017 and later, the BJP government increased the

President's Shimla holiday resort The Retreat opens for public from Apr 23

The 173-year-old heritage building and lush green lawns of the 'Rashtrapati Niwas', earlier known as the 'Presidential Retreat', at Mashobra in Himachal Pradesh will be thrown open for visitors from April 23. President Droupadi Murmu will officially open the estate to the general public during her visit to Shimla, Additional Secretary to the President, Rakesh Gupta, informed in a meeting at the Niwas on Friday, a statement issued here said. This would be an added attraction for people visiting the state capital in the Himalayan foothills. The entry fee for Indians would be Rs 50 a person and for foreigners, Rs 250 a person, according to the statement. The retreat will be open for people throughout the year, except on Mondays, government holidays and during the president's stay at the Niwas, it said. There will be no entry charge for group visits by government school students till June 30. The key attractions at the estate are the main building, the official dining halls and artifa

Surprise CBI inspection at General Post Office in Shimla's Mall Road

The Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) on Thursday conducted a surprise inspection at the General Post Office located on the Mall Road in the heart of the Shimla, officials said. The inspection was conducted to check accounts and documents over allegations of irregularities, an official said, without divulging details. The inspection started after 10 am on Thursday and continued till late evening. CBI officials were unwilling to share more details, and it was yet to be ascertained if the inspections were related to some ongoing cases or a new case.

Hailstorm, lightning lash Shimla and surrounding areas; visibility plunges

A severe hailstorm lashed Shimla and surrounding areas on Tuesday afternoon, reducing visibility considerably and affecting vehicular traffic. Roads and roofs of buildings were covered with a layer of hail, making the roads slippery and driving hazardous. Sky remained heavily overcast and icy winds swept the region The hailstorm, accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning, brought down the temperature which stayed 8-10 notches above normal during the past few days resulting in early flowering of stone fruits. The hailstorm added to the woes of farmers already worried over early flowering. Meanwhile, higher reaches and tribal areas received another spell of snow, with Koksar getting 17 cm of snow, followed by Gondla (12 cm), Kukumseri (9 cm), Keylong (6 cm) and Kufri (2 cm). Light intermittent rains were witnessed in some parts of the low and middle hills. Shimla with 19 mm of rains was wettest in the state followed by Manali (14 mm), Hamirpur (6 mm), Bharmaur and Kothi (5 mm each),

Shimla sees warmest February day in 17 years at 23.2 degrees Celsius

The day's temperature in Shimla on Sunday was 21.6 degrees, whereas the minimum was 14 degrees, 10.6 degrees above the average

Allocate special budget for boosting tourist places in Shimla: Tourism body

There is an urgent need to allocate a special budget for improving the existing tourist places in and around Shimla, the Tourism Industry Stakeholders Association (TISHA) said in a release here today."The stay of tourists in Shimla has decreased to one day. The decrease in stay of tourists and steep fall in inflow of the tourists in Shimla is a matter of great concern, " TISHA President Mohinder Seth said in a release."There is an urgent need to allocate a special budget for improving the existing tourist places in & around Shimla, to create wayside amenities on the highways and for publicity of tourist activities available in and around every tourist destination of Himachal," he said in the release.The existing places of tourist interest in Shimla are very old and require additional tourist attractions and activities to hold the tourist in Shimla for additional two to three days, the release said."Creation of parkings exclusively for tourists in every cluster of hotels. The ...

Urgent need to allocate special budget to improve tourist places in Shimla

There is an urgent need to allocate a special budget for improving the existing tourist places in and around Shimla, the Tourism Industry Stakeholders Association (TISHA) said in a release here today."The stay of tourists in Shimla has decreased to one day. The decrease in stay of tourists and steep fall in inflow of the tourists in Shimla is a matter of great concern, " TISHA President Mohinder Seth said in a release."There is an urgent need to allocate a special budget for improving the existing tourist places in & around Shimla, to create wayside amenities on the highways and for publicity of tourist activities available in and around every tourist destination of Himachal," he said in the release.The existing places of tourist interest in Shimla are very old and require additional tourist attractions and activities to hold the tourist in Shimla for additional two to three days, the release said."Creation of parkings exclusively for tourists in every cluster of hotels. The ...

Bridge collapses after landslide in Himachal's Chamba, traffic halted

According to State Emergency Operation Centre officials, the incident took place at Loona area of Bharmour village in the outskirts of Chamba district

Environmentalists concerned over reducing snow cover, rising temp in Shimla

Harsh winters with heavy snowfalls beginning in December itself, covering Shimla in a white mantle of snow till March-end or even early April have become a thing of the past now. The Himachal Pradesh capital, which used to be draped in white and attract tourists from all over, now mostly presents a brownish look with dry grass covering the hills. There is growing concern among environmentalists and locals over the rising temperatures and depleting snow cover that the snow line is moving upwards and the "Queen of Hills" gradually losing her winter charm. Its effect now is more visible than ever in the hill city's dwindling winter tourist inflow and drying water sources. According to climate experts, the snow line is receding and Shimla's adjoining tourist towns Kufri and Narkanda, popular skiing destinations, too are experiencing scanty snowfall. The state capital's tourism industry is taking a hit due to the falling numbers and there is a dire need to find more tourist spots and ..