Page 2 - Himachal Pradesh

2.8 magnitude earthquake hits Himachal's Kinnaur, no damage reported

A mild intensity earthquake of magnitude 2.8 -- with its epicentre in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur -- hit the state at 12:51 am on Wednesday, but no damage was reported, officials said. Earlier, tremors were felt in almost all parts of the state around 10:17 on Tuesday night following a 6.6 magnitude earthquake whose epicentre was in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush area at a depth of 156 km. People in Shimla, Mandi and several other places ran out of their houses in panic but no loss of life or property has been reported so far, the officials said. Tremors were felt in all the 12 districts of the state but no loss of life or damage to property has been reported, Special Secretary Disaster Management Sudesh Mokta had told The PTI. In the past 24 hours, more than 10 earthquakes were witnessed in India and the nearby region. Their magnitude was between three and four, he added.

Himachal signs MoU with French Agency to improve drinking water, sanitation

Under the project, Rs 612 crore would be provided by AFD, whereas the State Government would provide Rs. 204.85 crore, said the Chief Minister

Rs 804 cr disbursed as land compensation in NH projects in Himachal: CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said a sum of Rs 804 crore has been disbursed as land compensation in various national highway projects within a month in the state. The chief minister stressed on completion of the disbursement process of the remaining compensation cases worth about Rs 750 crore by March 27, 2023. He was reviewing the progress of various ongoing National Highway (NH) projects in the state focusing on resolving issues related to land compensation, clearances of FRA (Forest Rights Act) and FCA (Forest Conservation Act) and other bottlenecks of the projects on Sunday, a release issued here said. As the roads are the lifeline of Himachal Pradesh, the state government has been working diligently to ensure the timely completion of national highway projects, he said. The state government's efforts to expedite the land compensation and other clearances process would facilitate smoother implementation of the projects and provide better road ...

Amritpal Singh case: Alert sounded in Himachal, security along state border

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said the state was on high alert and security has been beefed up along the border with Punjab in view of the crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh. Strict vigil is being maintained along the border with Punjab, he told media persons here. Directions have been issued to ensure tourists coming from outside the state do not face any inconvenience and no unwanted element is allowed entry, the chief minister added. "There is nothing to worry and we are ready to deal with any circumstance," he said. Referring to recent clashes between local people and tourists from Punjab that led to a tense atmosphere in the state, the chief minister said there are some anti-social people trying to spoil the environment but "we all are citizens of this country and people of Punjab and Himachal are like brothers". "I will speak to the chief minister of Punjab if the need arises," Sukhu added. The Punjab Police on Saturday laun

Amritpal Singh crackdown: Strict vigil at Himachal Pradesh-Punjab borders

Security has been beefed up on Himachal Pradesh borders with Punjab in view of a crackdown against Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh, police here said on Sunday. Strict vigil is being kept with checking of all suspicious looking vehicles on every check post along Nangal and Gagret, said Una Superintendent of Police Arjit Sen Thakur. The Una Police has barricaded several places and deployed its personnel in heavy numbers at Bathari, Marwari, Santoshgarh, and Mehatpur on the Himachal-Punjab border. Thakur appealed to the people to remain calm and peaceful and if they spot any unwanted elements in their areas report them to police.

Recruit 500 more professors to implement NEP: Teachers' association in HP

There is a dire need to recruit 500 more professors in colleges to implement the National Education policy (NEP) 2020 in Himachal Pradesh, according to the delegates from the hill state participating in an academic conference in Haryana's Kurukshetra. In a release issued here on Saturday, the office-bearers of the Himachal Pradesh Government College Teachers' Association (HGCTA), who are participating in the ongoing 32nd academic conference organised by the All India federation of University and College Teachers' Organisations (AIFUCTO), said around 100 colleges of the 133 in the state are without regular principals, 50 colleges are functioning from private premises and around 30 have only two or three professors. Informing that Himachal Pradesh is going to be the first state to implement the NEP in colleges from the current academic session, HGCTA general secretary R L Sharma cautioned that the implementation of the policy in haste, without the required infrastructure and a ...

Himachal govt proposes to impose Rs 10 milk cess on liquor bottles

The Himachal Pradesh government in the budget for 2023-24 has proposed to impose a Rs 10 milk cess on liquor bottles sold in the state, which is expected to fetch Rs 100 crore every year to the state exchequer. Recently, the state government has decided to purchase cow and buffalo milk to increase the income of milk producers. Announcing the imposition of Rs 10 per cess on liquor bottles in the budget for 2023-24, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the income generated would be used to increase the income of milk producers through higher milk production. The chief minister also announced the launch of the "Him-Ganga" scheme to develop a milk-based economy in the state. Under the scheme, cattle rearers will be provided true cost-based milk prices and qualitative improvement will be brought into the system of milk procurement, processing and marketing. The state government will ensure that milk producers, especially the poorer sections, are protected from ...

Mandaviya flags off 75 trucks for awareness drive against Tuberculosis

Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on flagged off 75 Trucks with TB awareness messages that have been provided by Apollo Tyres Foundation, who are actively supporting the Ni-kshay scheme

JOA recruitment: 4 booked in HP for tampering with candidates' OMR sheets

Himachal Pradesh's State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on Saturday booked four people for allegedly tampering with OMR sheets to help candidates clear the Junior Office Assistant (JOA) (IT) (Post Code 939) examination held on April 24 last year, officials said. The case has been registered on the basis of an inquiry after the paper for the examination for JOA (IT) (Post Code 965) recruitment on December 23 last year was leaked, they said. During the investigation, it was found that two peons -- Kishori Lal and Madan Lal -- posted at the now-disbanded Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (HPSSC) in Hamirpur tampered with the OMR sheets of two candidates and helped them get selected. One of the candidates was Madan Lal's son and the other was his neighbour, they said. The niece of HPSSC senior assistant Uma Azad, who was caught red-handed by the vigilance sleuths while selling the question paper of the JOA (IT) examination on December 23 last year, and two others scored

Complete 450 MW Shongtong hydro project by 2025: Himachal CM Sukhu

Stressing on the need for early commissioning of 450 MW Shongtong Hydroelectric Power Project, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed officials to expedite the construction work

Budget session of Himachal Pradesh Assembly to commence on March 14

The budget session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly will commence on March 14 and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will present the budget for 2023-24 on March 17. Speaking to mediapersons on Friday, Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said the 24-day session would have 18 sittings. There will be two private member's days on March 16 and 24. The budget would be passed on March 29, Pathania said. He said the Assembly secretariat has so far received 543 starred questions -- 391 online and 152 offline -- and 189 un-starred questions. The general discussion of the budget would be held on March 20, 21, 22 and 23, while discussion on demands for grants would be held on March 27, 28 and 29. An all-party meeting presided over by the speaker would be held ahead of the session on March 13.

Motivate youth for drug-free state, says Himachal Pradesh Governor

During a courtesy call on the Governor at Raj Bhavan here, the Governor asked him to actively contribute in the campaign for a drug-free Himachal Pradesh

15-30% of Rabi crops damaged in Himachal Pradesh due to inadequate rains

The prolonged dry spell in Himachal Pradesh has caused severe damage to the rabi crops and the maximum loss of Rs 2,857.78 lakh has been suffered in the Hamirpur district of the hill state, officials said on Thursday. As per the report of field officers from across the state, out of 4,01,853 hectares, crops on 85,538.20 hectares of land have been damaged due to inadequate/ deficient rains. In five districts of Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla and Sirmaur up to 33 per cent of Rabi crops have been damaged. The total loss to the crop was estimated at Rs 9,462 lakh rupees so far in ten out of 12 districts in the state barring the tribal areas of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti, a spokesman of the Agriculture department said. The crop damage was below 33 per in the remaining five districts, the spokesperson added. Rainfed areas have been hit the most by the weather. The crops of wheat, barley and peas have been affected due to lack of rain, he said. Areas where farmers were completely

Women have played important role in nation building: HP Dy CM Agnihotri

Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Wednesday said women have always played a significant role in society and nation building. He said the International Women's Day is an opportunity to go beyond empowering women and honour the talent hidden in them. He said Himachal Pradesh is the land of God and our society has a tradition of giving respect to women. He said there has been a significant contribution of women in society and nation building. He was presiding over a district level programme organized at Lata Mangeshkar Kala Kendra here on the occasion of International Women's Day. He said lift, cameras, ropeway and escalator will be installed in all the temple premises across the state.

Pedestrians involved in 22% road crash cases in Himachal Pradesh: Data

Road accidents in Himachal Pradesh have claimed 6,530 lives and left 26,600 people injured in the past six years, with pedestrians being hit in 22 per cent cases and accounting for 15 per cent deaths, according to police data. In the latest accident on Tuesday, a car ploughed into a group of migrant labourers in Solan district, killing five and injuring four. Road accidents per 10,000 vehicles in the hill state was 17.1 per cent as compared to the national average of 15.1 per cent in 2019, while the number of accidental deaths per 10,000 vehicles was seven per cent compared to 5.1 per cent at the national level, the police data stated. Pedestrians were hit in 22 per cent cases of accidents in the state, while head-on collision and cases of vehicles veering off the road accounted for 22 per cent accidents each, it stated. More than 80 per cent of accidents were reported in rural areas, according to an analysis of the police data for the last six years. The highest number of acciden

Determined to provide an investment-friendly environment in HP: CM Sukhu

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday said that the industries play an important contribution in building an advanced Himachal Pradesh

ADB teams call on Himachal CM, discusses sub-tropical horticulture project

The Chief Minister stressed on the plantation of various other fruit plants that can be grown in low-lying areas so that the fruit diversity in the area could also be increased

Embrace challenges in life: Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to students

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday urged students to utilise their abilities to overcome the challenges in life with determination and self-belief to achieve success. He was addressing students of a Sainik School at Sujanpur Tihra here. Schools are the temples of learning and the treasure house of knowledge, which teaches us to face the day-to-day challenges and instill a sense of responsibility and discipline in us, Sukhu said. He emphasised on the need to develop skills and shape the students' careers as per the requirements of the fast-changing world. The chief minister praised the school authorities for admitting girls in the institute. On the occasion, school principal Manoj Kumar Mahawar presented several demands of the institute before the chief minister, who assured him of considering them and taking them up with the Defence Ministry.

Himachal Pradesh govt to close 286 schools with low student enrolment

The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to close the institutions with a low enrolment of students

Industries minister inaugurates Himachal Pavilion at Pharma Live Expo

The state government participated in the country's largest pharma expo to showcase the pharma ecosystem and invite potential medical devices players for investments