Taking a serious note of the alleged embezzlement in the deployment of water tankers in the Matiana and Kasumpti divisions of the Jal Shakti Vibhag (JSV), the state government has suspended five officials of the department posted in these two divisions and ordered suspension of another five officials on the basis of a preliminary inquiry.

“We will not tolerate any lapse or corruption. Strict action will be taken against people found guilty of any wrongdoing,” said Jal Shakti Vibhag Minister Mukesh Agnihotri. Besides, the minister gave directions to blacklist contractors, who were involved in the alleged water supply scam, in the Theog area of Shimla district.

“We have written to the ADGP and the State Vigilance and Corruption Bureau to conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter and take appropriate action,” said Agnihotri.

Rakesh Singha, a former MLA from Theog constituency, had flagged an alleged scam in water distribution in his constituency a few days ago.

On the basis of information gathered through the RTI, Singha had alleged that the registration number of vehicles used for water supply turned out to be those of scooters, motorcycles and cars, including a vehicle belonging to a senior government official, instead of water tankers.

The former MLA had further alleged that tankers were shown to have distributed water in villages which had no approach road. “Every year, around Rs 10 to Rs 12 lakh are spent on water supply in Theog and surrounding places via tankers.

The amount reached Rs 1.13 crore in 2024,” said Singha, while alleging massive irregularities in water supply.

Following revelations by Singha, All India Congress Committee spokesperson and Theog MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore also asked the state government to conduct an inquiry into the matter and take strict action against those found guilty.

While stating that corruption would not be tolerated at any level, Rathore said prima facie there seemed some irregularities, but full facts would emerge once the investigation was complete.

A police constable was arrested and another placed under custody for allegedly killing a hotel manager at a New Year’s party in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district, officials said on Friday.

The accused, Anoop Kumar and Amit Kumar, were posted as constables in the Chamba district, while the victim was identified as hotel manager Rajinder Kumar.

According to police, the incident occurred during a New Year’s party when three police personnel visited a hotel in Banikhet, Chamba. Anoop and Amit got into a heated argument with Rajinder and Sachin, a hotel employee.

In the heat of the moment, Rajinder, Anoop and Sachin fell from the hotel’s elevated parking space and suffered injuries. While Anoop and Sachin suffered fractures, Rajinder Kumar succumbed to injuries.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Yadav said that Amit had been arrested while Anoop will be formally placed under arrest after getting discharged from the hospital. The involvement of the third police personnel is under investigation.

Rajinder’s family members earlier held a protest and demanded action against the accused. They blocked the Pathankot-Chamba National Highway for a few hours which disrupted vehicular movement. They withdrew the protest after the SP assured them of stern action.

Yadav said that the accused were posted in Chamba and were sent to Dalhousie for duty.

“While they were returning from their duty, they headed up to the hotel where the incident took place. We have also checked CCTV footage in which we can see that a scuffle had taken place” he said.

Further investigation into the matter is under way, he added.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu yesterday said that the state government would soon allocate 22 new hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 828 MW.

The projects ranging from 6.5 MW to 400 MW were located across Kullu, Chamba, Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Shimla districts. He said that the largest allocation comprising nine projects with a total capacity of 595 MW was planned for the Chenab river basin. Additionally, eight projects totalling 169 MW were earmarked for the Sutlej river basin, four projects (55 MW) for the Ravi basin and one project (9 MW) for the Beas basin.

Sukhu said for the first time the state government would allot these projects to other states, union territories and central and state undertakings. The projects would be assigned on a 40-year lease with an upfront premium of Rs 10 lakh per megawatt.

A letter has already been issued by the Energy Directorate to secretaries of states and central undertakings, offering these projects. Apart from this, advertisements were also being released to ensure wide promotion and publicity.

The allotment of these 22 hydel projects would help harness the vast hydropower potential in the state and usher in economic prosperity of the area where they are set up.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, on Thursday, flagged off the 13-day educational and recreational tour for 22 orphan children adopted as ‘children of the state’ under the Sukh Aashray Yojana.

Sukhu flagged off the bus carrying the first group of 22 children, marking the start of the scheme. “The state government enacted a law for orphaned children and had adopted 6,000 children under the law. The government had launched the Sukh Aashray Yojana to ensure their welfare and provide for their educational needs,” he said.

Sukhu said, the scheme aims to empower these children and support them in becoming self-reliant. As part of the initiative, children were taken to places such as Chandigarh, Delhi and Goa for exposure and learning.

The children include 16 girls and 6 boys. Their plan includes visiting Chandigarh from Jan 2 to 4, a stay in Delhi, before flying to Goa on Jan 8. In Goa they will stay at a three-star hotel and visit key tourist and historic attractions. The group is scheduled to return to Chandigarh on Jan 14, 2025.

Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar, Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, MLA Harish Janartha and Mayor MC Shimla Surinder Chauhan, were also present during the flag off.

A devastating fire swept through Tandi village in Kullu’s Banjar subdivision, reducing around 20 houses, fodder, and cow sheds to ashes.

The fire, which started from a fodder shed, spread rapidly due to strong winds and the predominantly wooden construction of the houses.

According to Banjar SDM Pankaj Sharma, the primary loss is estimated to be around Rs 10 crore, with ornaments and jewellery in the ‘kothi’ (store) of deity Gadpati Sheshnag also destroyed in the blaze. Fortunately, there were no casualties or livestock losses reported.

The fire tenders from Banjar, Largi, and Kullu were rushed to the scene, but the flames were not fully doused until the filing of this report.

The SDM said the district administration has provided relief materials, food, and shelter to the affected families, with temporary tents to be pitched if required.

Kullu district has witnessed several major fire incidents in recent years. The villages in the district primarily consist of wooden houses built in the traditional ‘Kath-Kuni’ architecture, which are often adjacent to each other.

To mitigate the risk of fires, Kullu District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has identified locations in remote villages to construct RCC and prefabricated tanks.

These tanks will be connected to pipelines and fire hydrants to tackle fires in rural areas with limited road access and far from fire stations.

The district administration plans to install large water tanks in areas with dense populations, traditional ‘Kath-Kuni’ style wooden houses, and high fire risk. Although this proposal was initiated a couple of years ago, progress has been slow.

The exact cause of the fire is still unknown, and a magisterial inquiry will be conducted.

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla has extended his wishes to the people of the state on the New Year’s Eve.

The Governor expressed hope that the coming year would bring abundance of good health and happiness in the lives of the people and Himachal Pradesh would witness more progress in all spheres.

“I am confident that with the hard work and dedication of the people, Himachal would make rapid strides in all spheres of development and would achieve new heights in 2025,” he said.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also extended his warm greetings and best wishes to the people of Himachal for the New Year.

“I hope that the New Year would bring happiness, peace and prosperity to everyone’s lives while propelling Himachal Pradesh to new heights of progress and development,” he said.

The Chief Minister reflected on the achievements of the past year, stating that with the blessings of the deities and the steadfast support of the people, all challenges of 2024 were successfully overcome.

Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Pathania and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri also extended their greetings on the New Year.

Four Punjab tourists have been detained for assaulting three local shopkeepers with a knife at Kufri here, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred following a disagreement between the tourists and local shopkeepers over rented snow boots that turned into a heated argument, leading to an altercation.

During the scuffle, the tourists stabbed the shopkeepers with a knife and injured them.

The injured were shifted to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital.

ASP Navdeep said an investigation is on.

The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly recently passed the Himachal Pradesh Police (Amendment) Bill, 2024, marking a pivotal shift in the state’s governance and law enforcement framework.

Introduced by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the legislation aims to enhance administrative efficiency, streamline recruitment processes and protect public servants from undue harassment.

While its objectives reflect a progressive vision, the Act has sparked intense debate, drawing both praise and criticism for its far-reaching implications on accountability, local governance and administrative flexibility.

A standout provision in the Act mandates prior government sanction before arresting public servants for actions taken during official duties.

Proponents argue this clause shields honest officials from politically motivated or frivolous litigation, enabling them to perform their duties without fear. However, critics warn that such safeguards may delay accountability, foster impunity and erode public trust in administrative integrity.

The Opposition, led by the BJP, has accused the government of shielding corrupt officials under the guise of reform.

They argue that the clause requiring prior sanction creates a legal shield for bureaucrats and politicians, compromising accountability. Additionally, centralising recruitment is seen as potentially disconnecting officers from the communities they serve, diluting grassroots governance.
Accountability gaps

The absence of robust external oversight mechanisms raises concerns about ineffective grievance redressal and diminished public trust. Furthermore, it inadequately addresses gender diversity and inclusion. Without significant efforts to increase the representation of women and marginalised groups, the police force risks missing the opportunity of becoming more representative and responsive.

Centralised cadre

The amendment’s reorganisation of police constables and head constables from a district cadre to a unified state cadre aims to standardise recruitment and optimise personnel allocation. By centralising the process under a state-level Police Recruitment Board, the government seeks to eliminate nepotism and address resource disparities between districts.

However, concerns about its impact on localised policing have emerged. Critics argue that transferring officers without sufficient knowledge of local socio-cultural dynamics may weaken law enforcement’s ability to address district-specific challenges, especially in Himachal’s diverse and often remote terrains.

Addressing challenges

Resource constraints also loom large. Policing in hilly terrains demands specialised equipment, infrastructure and training. Critics highlight that the Act fails to guarantee sufficient funding for these needs, risking the reforms’ practical effectiveness.

Lessons from other states

Comparisons with reforms in other states provide valuable insights. In Maharashtra, technology-driven recruitment has curbed nepotism and ensured meritocracy, but initial delays highlighted the risks of over-centralisation. In Kerala, the Janamaithri Suraksha Project underscores the importance of community policing, which fosters trust and cooperation between police and local communities.

Risks of over-centralisation

Bihar’s challenges with centralised recruitment highlight potential pitfalls. Officers unfamiliar with district-specific concerns risk undermining localised policing efforts. In Himachal, such risks could be magnified due to the state’s unique geographical and demographic complexities.

By addressing the gaps, Himachal has the opportunity to set a benchmark for modern policing that is both effective and equitable. Balancing administrative convenience with community engagement will be key to ensuring the reforms’ long-term success. Himachal has the opportunity to set a benchmark for progressive policing which can be adopted by the small states grappling with identical challenges.

The CBI arrested an alleged middleman on Saturday in connection with a bribery case, in which an assistant director of the ED is under the scanner, officials said.

The officer managed to give a slip to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) during a trap operation on Sunday (December 22) and is yet to join the investigation, while his brother has been arrested by the federal agency, the officials added.

The CBI arrested “middleman” Neeraj on Saturday and produced him before a special court that sent him to the agency’s custody for a day, they said.

The assistant director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) posted at Shimla and his brother, a senior manager in the Punjab National Bank in Delhi, had allegedly gone to a location near Chandigarh to receive bribe money from a businessman, who is facing a case lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said.

The businessman filed a complaint with the CBI about alleged extortion, based on which the Chandigarh unit of the agency planned the trap operation where the complainant was asked to give a bribe of Rs 55 lakh in cash to the officer, with CBI sleuths keeping an eye, the officials said.

The plan was that the CBI would nab the accused after the bribe was received by him, they said.

The ED officer, who is on deputation from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), got alerted during the operation and allegedly fled, the officials said.

The agency is questioning him regarding his alleged involvement in the case.

Sources in the ED said the accused assistant director of its Shimla sub-zonal office and his supervisory officers—a deputy director and a joint director (based in Chandigarh)—have been transferred to Delhi following the case.

The vision of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to preserve and disseminate the unique art heritage of Tibet through self-sustaining means is one the everlasting embodiments of his commitments.

The Tibetan Handicraft Cooperative Society, which was started on May 7, 1969, with a seed money of Rs 15,000 given by the Dalai Lama in McLeodganj, has been earning profit since then. Its annual turnover is around Rs 3 crore.

Its ethnic products include handmade premium sheep wool Tibetan carpets, traditional dresses, handbags, cushions and ritual items that are available in four sale counters in McLeodganj, a small and quaint hill station in the suburbs of Dharamsala town.

The society, run by 40 employees, a majority of whom had fled their Himalayan homeland, creates jobs after training them for three months free of cost with an aim to keep the age-old skill and more importantly, the tradition alive through the hands of master weavers, who had learnt weaving at the tender age.

At present, the hand-knotted rugs with original and contemporary designs of flowers, dragons and eight lucky signs, weaved on vertical looms by tying double knots over a rod, are much in demand across the globe, mainly in Japan, the US, Canada, Britain, Australia and Germany.

Every day, a team of workers while dyeing wool derived from traditional vegetal dyes, laying out designs or weaving carpets chant Buddhist mantras, which they believe will bring happiness and good fortune to the customers. Most of these workers were born in Tibet and had to flee the homeland due to Chinese tyranny to seek refuge in India, where the Dalai Lama was granted asylum on April 3, 1959.

They weave their lives around karma and the carpets. Karma refers to one’s actions and the consequences of those actions, while carpets, mats and Thangka paintings symbolise their day-to-day struggle to survive, thrive and flourish.

One of its acclaimed handcrafted carpets is Tibetan tiger skin with a black stripe on a traditional light brown background which was published in Numero fashion magazine of Tokyo in the October 2022 edition.

Tseyang, a 50-year-old Tibet-born woman weaver, says that each 60-knot rug with a dimension of 231cm x 140 cm employs two people and takes around a month to weave each knot of wool, with the tiger face being the most time-consuming.

This year, the National Cooperative Development Corporation had recognised the Tibetan Handicraft Cooperative Society, which usually weaves flowers, dragons or auspicious eight symbols, as one of the best cooperatives in the state.

“Our export of carpets is over 85 per cent and we have huge orders of tiger-shaped rugs from Australia-based Tim Roodenrys,” says Tibetan Handicraft Cooperative Society Manager Tenzin Rigsang. “We have already shipped carpets of Rs 30 to Rs 40 lakh to him,” he adds.

The Himachal Pradesh government has declared December 27 and 28 as holidays as a mark of respect to former PM Manmohan Singh.

Joint Secretary Parveen Kumar announced this.

The Centre has already announced a seven-day mourning till January 1. During this time the national flag will be flown at half-mast.

Also, the ongoing winter carnival in Shimla has been postponed.

HP State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Limited is purchasing two lakh litres of milk per day on an average and the monthly payout to the milk producers have increased from Rs 8.70 crore to Rs 25.62 crore, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

He said, “The state government has taken numerous steps to bolster the milk-based economy. We are procuring cow milk at Rs 45 per litre and buffalo milk at Rs 55 per litre. Since 90 per cent of the state’s population resides in rural areas, our aim is to ensure money reaches the hands of the villagers, enabling their economic development.

The government will continue to make significant decisions in this direction in the future as well.”

As per a government spokesperson, 455 automated milk collection centres had been established across the state through Milkfed to bring transparency in milk procurement. “Milkfed is collecting milk directly from the farmers’ doorsteps even in the remotest part of the state, ensuring financial benefits to improve their social and economic condition. Besides, Milkfed is also providing farmers with 5 litre capacity cans,” he added.

The spokesperson said, “The federation is also implementing dairy development programmes in 11 districts of the state and has formed 1,148 village dairy cooperative societies and registered 47,905 members under its umbrella.”