Page 13 - Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Assembly polls: A total of 5,093 cast vote through postal ballot

The number of postal ballot cast were 366 in Kangra, 297 in Kullu, 1,991 in Mandi, 528 in Una, 838 in Bilaspur, 315 in Solan, 669 in Shimla, and 89 in Kinnaur

Himachal Assembly polls: J P Nadda to release BJP's manifesto on Friday

BJP president J P Nadda will release on Friday the party's 'vision document' (manifesto) for the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls. The elections to the 68-member assembly is scheduled for February 12. Party sources said Nadda would release the manifesto in Shimla on November 4. They added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address at least two public meetings each on November 5 and 9. On Saturday, he will address rallies in Mandi and Solan, they said. The BJP is in power in the hill state and is pulling out all the stops to remain in the saddle by breaking the precedent of the incumbent being voted out.

Extreme weather event seen on almost 90% days in first 9 months: CSE report

India recorded an extreme weather event on almost 90 per cent of the days in the first nine months of this year, with Himachal Pradesh logging the highest number of human deaths, according to a new report. These disasters claimed 2,775 lives, affected 1.8 million hectares (ha) of crop area, destroyed over 4,16,667 houses and killed close to 70,000 livestock, stated the report, 'Extreme Weather Report 2022', released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). This estimation of loss and damage is probably an underestimate as data for each event is not collated, nor are the losses of public property or crop loss calculated, the green think tank said. "India recorded extreme weather events on 241 of the 273 days from January 1 to September 30 this year. This means that close to 90 per cent of the first nine months of this year, India had an extreme weather event breaking in one or more parts of the country," the report read. At 140, Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of days

Assembly Elections 2022: Promise to make Himachal drug free, says Amit Shah

Promising to make the state drug free, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday urged people to repeat the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal CM ridicules Congress' 300 units of free electricity promise

On October 30 Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur expressed confidence in the BJP's victory in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state

J P Nadda begins whirlwind tour of Himachal for pro-incumbency votes

Nadda will be holding 21 election meetings and doorstep canvassing across the state under the Vijay Sankalp Abhiyaan till November 9.

Army's first inter-service paragliding championship begins in Bir Billing

The first Inter services paragliding X-country championship begin with a colourful opening ceremony at the mountainous belt of Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh. Commenced on Saturday, the Championship, a first of its kind, is being conducted from October 29 to November 01, under the aegis of army adventure wing (AAW), defence spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said on Sunday. The day's activities saw around 15 paragliding pilots from the Indian Army and Navy taking off from Billing and landing at Bir located approximately 13 to 14 kilometers, in a display of their ability of navigating X-country in air. "Paragliding is primarily a recreational and competitive adventure sport. The ability of the paragliding flight to last many hours and cover large distance is, what is of great importance to the Armed Forces, as it will facilitate aerial insertions behind enemy lines," Anand said. The opening ceremony was presided over by Brigadier AK Singh, who welcomed the paragliding pilots from the

Amit Shah on 2-day visit to Himachal from Nov 1, to address 6 rallies

BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address six rallies in two days in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh starting from November 1. He will also hold closed-door organisational meetings during his two-day visit to the hill state, his office said in a statement. Shah will stay the intervening night of November 1 and 2 in Shimla and is likely to hold a meeting with the senior leaders of the BJP's state unit, sources said. He will hold a rally each in Bhattiyat, Karsog and Kusumpatti assembly segments on November 1. The next day, he will hold a rally each in Dhramshala, Nandon and Nalagarh.

BJP regime in Himachal Pradesh govt of mafias, alleges Congress leader

The opposition Congress on Saturday released a "chargesheet" against the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP regime in Himachal Pradesh, with a senior party leader terming it a "government of mafias". The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Mukesh Agnihotri, alleged that a multi-crore pipe purchase scam took place in the IPH Department and jobs were "sold" during the Thakur government. A commission of inquiry will be constituted if the Congress is voted to power in the hill state, he added as he termed the BJP regime a "government of mafias". The chairman of the Congress campaign committee for the state Assembly polls, Sukhvinder Sukhu, said anyone, be it a minister or bureaucrat, will be put behind bars if found guilty of the "scams". Chairman of AICC media and publicity department Pawan Khera accompanied by AICC spokesperson Alka Lamba released a 23-page chargesheet in which several accusations have been levelled against the Thakur government. It has been alleged in the chargesheet t

A gastronomic journey through the North far removed from convention

Loya, the latest offering by Indian Hotels at Taj Palace, New Delhi, offers a confluence of flavours from the foothills of Himalayas, the fields of Punjab, the Gangetic plains, and snow-laden Kashmir

Poll-bound Gujarat, Himachal on different inflation trajectories in 2022

Gujarat has since February consistently witnessed higher retail price inflation than national average

Economic crisis in Himachal Pradesh under BJP rule, claims Congress

Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh on Thursday accused the ruling BJP of driving the state into an economic crisis and said the debt burden has reached at "Rs 70,000 crore". She also asserted that if her party is voted to power in the assembly polls, it would restore the old pension scheme for state government employees. "Himachal Pradesh is facing a debt burden of Rs 70,000 crore and the data of unemployed youth in the state has crossed the 10 lakh-mark under the BJP rule," Singh said while addressing a rally in Shimla district's Rampur for the November 12 elections. The Congress leader reiterated her party's poll promises of restoring the old pension scheme for state government employees, providing Rs 1,500 per month to every woman and free 300 units of electricity to domestic consumers.

Re-elect BJP in Himachal for development to continue: Anurag Thakur

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday urged the people of Himachal Pradesh to vote the BJP again to power for development to continue in the hilly state. The wheel of development in the state should continue. So it is very important to bring back the BJP government, he said. Thakur was addressing public meetings at Chamboh, Jauh Badhani and Mundkhar villages of the Bhoranj assembly constituency. The Union Information and Broadcasting Minister said the double-engine governments of the BJP at the Centre and the state had provided a tension-free environment to the people across the country and Himachal Pradesh. Thakur counted various "achievements" of BJP governments at the Centre and in the state on the occasion.

Inflation, unemployment key issues for people in Himachal, says Congress

The Congress has accused the BJP of "double standards" on the issue of dynastic politics in Himachal and said sons of some BJP leaders have been given tickets for the assembly polls in the state

BJP will retain power in Himachal Pradesh: Union minister Anurag Thakur

Union Minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Saturday exuded confidence that his party will again form government in Himachal Pradesh as people have seen the working of the "double-engine" government. The "double-engine" phrase is used by BJP leaders to emphasise that development will be expedited if the same party is at the helm in states and the Centre. Voting for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections will take place on November 12 and the counting will be held on December 8. Speaking to reporters, Thakur said the BJP will again form the government in Himachal Pradesh. "Results will be in favour of the BJP because people have seen the working of the BJP and the double-engine government. We will get the benefit of the leadership which Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave in the country and (Chief Minister) Jai Ram Thakur at the state level," he added. He said the BJP will also retain power in Gujarat. Earlier also, the BJP had retained power in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa a

Delhi, Bengal consume most sweets in India; Rajasthan top consumer of papad

In 2021, the sweet market in India stood at Rs 58,900 crore

GST Council likely to meet in Dec, may take up report on e-game tax

The Council meeting was expected to be held in August in Madurai

'Old pension scheme to be restored in Punjab, will do same in Gujarat, HP'

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday congratulated government employees in Punjab after the state cabinet gave its nod to the restoration of the old pension scheme and promised that the AAP would do so in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, if it is voted to power in the upcoming polls. The old pension scheme should be restored and implemented all over the country, he said, terming the new pension scheme unfair. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor's promise to the state government employees of the poll-bound Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh came after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced his government's decision to restore old pension scheme. "We had promised that we would implement the old pension scheme in Punjab. Today Bhagwant Mann fulfilled the promise. Congratulations to all the employees of Punjab, Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi. The old pension scheme should be restored and implemented all over the country, he said. "If the people of Himachal Pradesh a

HP CM Thakur should clarify why BJP is against old pension scheme: Gehlot

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot Wednesday said his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Jai Ram Thakur should clarify "why the BJP is against old pension scheme" which gives social security to government employees. Gehlot said his government has restored the old pension scheme in the state from April 4, 2022. For this, necessary changes have been made in the pension rules, he said. "Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has made an unfortunate statement that the old pension scheme has not been implemented in Rajasthan. "After the implementation of the old pension scheme in Rajasthan, pension cases of more than 100 personnel have been settled," he said in a statement. Thakur should remember that then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government had introduced the New Pension Scheme (NPS) replacing the old pension scheme for personnel appointed on and after January 1, 2004, "which created a feeling of insecurity among the employees and they started worrying about the .

Congress announces list of 46 candidates for Himachal assembly elections

The Congress on Tuesday released its first list of 46 candidates for the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections scheduled for November 12. In the list released here, Congress Legislature Party leader Mukesh Agnihotri has been fielded from the Haroli assembly seat and former minister Asha Kumari from her Dalhousie seat. The party has nominated former state Congress chiefs Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Kuldeep Singh Rathore from Nadaun and Theog, respectively. The party has fielded all its sitting MLAs, including former chief minister Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh from the Shimla Rural constituency. However, the first list of candidates did not include the name of state Congress chief Pratibha Singh. She is the sitting MP from Mandi and the wife of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh. Former BJP leader Dyal Pyari, who switched over to the Congress a few days ago, has been fielded from the Pachhad (SC) seat. Col Dhani Ram Shandil will contest from his Solan seat and Harshward