Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla and adjoining towns of Kufri and Fagu received the season’s first snow on Sunday evening, while snowfall started in the higher reaches of Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu in the afternoon.

In several other parts of the state, including Shimla, the temperatures have dipped below normal.

As per the weather department, scattered to fairly widespread precipitation is likely to occur over the next the 12-24 hours.

In Shimla and adjoining areas, light to moderate snowfall is likely in a few pockets. In the evening, snowflakes started falling in Shimla and Kufri but didn’t continue for long.

Light to moderate rain/snowfall is “very likely” at a few places in Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba, Kinnaur, Kangra, Shimla and Kullu districts.

There’s a forecast for light precipitation at a few places in the districts of Solan, Sirmaur, Una, Bilaspur, Mandi and Hamirpur. Besides, light rain/snowfall is likely at isolated places over mid and high hills on December 10.

The state has been enduring a dry spell for more than two months now. The fruit growers and farmers have been affected adversely by the prolonged dry spell. The rain and snowfall, as predicted by the weather department from December 8 onwards, will bring a major relief to the farmers.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that the state government was contemplating to include health education in the school curriculum to create awareness from an early age.

He was speaking at a function organised as a part of the Ni-Kshay Abhiyan here.

Sukhu said that the 100-day Ni-Kshay Abhiyan was a significant step towards making Himachal Pradesh TB-free. Its aim was to ensure timely identification of TB cases, effective treatment and increased awareness within communities.

“The health sector remains the top priority for the state government and several reforms are being implemented to improve the system. Emergency departments in hospitals are being upgraded and tenders for modern equipment for medical colleges have already been issued,” he added.

The Chief Minister assured the gathering that within a year, the people of the state would have access to advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities.

He said that the campaign would be conducted in all districts with special focus on vulnerable and marginalised groups.

He appealed to everyone to actively participate in the Ni-Kshay Abhiyan camps in their areas and encourage people to recognise TB symptoms and seek timely testing.

He expressed confidence that Himachal Pradesh was on the path to becoming TB-free in the near future. “The state government has allocated additional Rs 2 crore for the Chief Minister’s TB Eradication Scheme, supplementing the Central Government’s budget.

Since 13 per cent of the state’s population is above 60 years, ensuring early diagnosis and prevention is crucial for the elderly,” he added. He stressed the importance of awareness and healthy lifestyles for the younger generation to prevent diseases.

Sukhu said that the referral system in government health institutions was being replaced with a robust system of care. “To attract and retain specialists, the government is considering to increase monthly allowances for super-specialist doctors from Rs 60,000 to Rs 1.75 lakh and for specialist doctors to Rs 1 lakh,” he added.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dhani Ram Shandil urged everyone to remain vigilant about TB and get timely check-up for the early treatment of the disease. He said that Himachal Pradesh had one of the highest TB screening rates in the country.

He added that the state government was also providing monthly financial assistance to ensure that nutritional needs of TB patients were met.

A massive fire broke out at a hotel at Rangri in Manali last evening, destroying property worth crores of rupees.

The blaze quickly engulfed the hotel, which was constructed primarily of forest wood. Though extensive damage to the hotel was caused in the incident, there was no loss of life.

DSP, Manali, KD Sharma said fire engines were promptly deployed to control the blaze. Efforts to douse the fire were still going on.

“No loss of life has been reported in the incident and teams of firefighters are working hard to contain the fire,” he added.

The exact cause of the fire is still not clear and a probe is underway. Revenue officials are expected to assess the financial loss once the fire is brought under control.

In a significant development for residents of Madgran village in Udaipur subdivision of tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has commenced the long-awaited road metalling project, marking a major initiative to improve connectivity in the area with other parts of the state.

This vital project, which is being executed on a war footing, aims to address the longstanding issues created by dust and unpaved road in the region. These problems have brought immense hardship for locals and their agriculture.

According to residents of Madgran village, the unpaved Sansari-Killar-Thirot-Tandi (SKTT) road heading from Udaipur to Madgran village, often a source of dust storms, has caused severe damage to crops and created numerous difficulties for them.

“Understanding gravity of the situation, Lahaul and Spiti MLA Anuradha Rana made it her priority to address the problem. She personally approached the BRO Chief Engineer and requested his special intervention to resolve the issue. Despite facing several logistical challenges, the Chief Engineer took immediate action and gave approval for initiating the roadwork in the current season,” residents said.

Expressing her gratitude, MLA Anuradha Rana praised efforts of the BRO team, acknowledging the commitment of the Chief Engineer and the Officer Commanding. She highlighted the importance of the road project, which is expected to significantly reduce hardships faced by villagers.

“It is a long-awaited relief for the people of Madgran village. We are extremely thankful to the BRO team, especially the Chief Engineer and the Officer Commanding, for their unwavering support and efforts,” she said.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu yesterday gave away cash rewards amounting to Rs 14.77 crore to 21 international medal winners at a function organised here today.

He said that the state government was committed to rewarding the struggles of sportspersons and fostering a strong sports culture in the state.

Sukhu said, “My government has made an unprecedented increase in the prize money to encourage players and inspire the youth to participate in sports.

The prize money for athletes overcoming physical challenges has been increased eightfold to bring it on a par with the reward for able-bodied players.”

He said that the prize money for gold medal winners in the Olympics, Winter Olympics and Paralympics had been increased from Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore while the silver and bronze medallists would now receive Rs 3 crore and Rs 2 crore, respectively.

“For the Asian Games and the Para Asian Games, the prize money for the gold medallists had been increased from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 4 crore, from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 2.50 crore for silver medallists and from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 1.50 crore for the bronze medallists.

The Commonwealth Games medallists will now get Rs 3 crore, Rs 2 crore and Rs 1 crore for gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively,” he added.

The Chief Minister said that his government had also hiked the diet money for players. “The Under-17 and under-19 players now receive Rs 400 and Rs 500 per day for the state and national-level competitions as compared to Rs 150 and Rs 250 earlier.

For under-14 players, the allowance has been increased to Rs 250 and Rs 400 from Rs 120 and Rs 250,” he added

He said that sportspersons staying in hostels were now getting Rs 400 per day. Besides, the government had also revised the travel allowances — players are entitled to the AC three-tier fare for distances up to 200 km and the economy class airfare for longer distances.

Youth Services and Sports Minister Yadvinder Goma thanked the Chief Minister for increasing in the prize and diet money of the sportspersons.

A state-level advisory board for de-addiction and rehabilitation will be constituted, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today while addressing a workshop on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition and De-addiction here today.

Sukhu said that he would head the Advisory Board. “An Opioid Substitution Therapy Centre will be established at all medical colleges and district hospitals of the state.

The objective of the initiative is to streamline the activities of various line departments on substance abuse and ensure an integrated approach to tackle the menace,” he added.

He said that the Centre of Excellence of Mental Health at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, would be the state-level nodal institution for de-addiction and rehabilitation.

The School Health Mission would be implemented in the state in collaboration with the departments of education and health, he added.

The Chief Minister said that an action plan for addressing the nutritional concerns of adolescent girls, expectant and lactating mothers and children up to the age of six years, besides drug abuse prevention, de-addiction and rehabilitation would be prepared.

He directed the Social Justice and Empowerment Department to formulate a mechanism to ensure the well-being of expectant mothers and their newborn up to the age of one year.

Sukhu said that the government was also contemplating to delegate powers to the lower level for the procurement of nutritional supplements to ensure good quality of food items being provided to eligible expectant and lactating mothers.

“We are establishing a state-of-the-art de-addiction and rehabilitation centre spread over 150 bighas at Kotla Barog village in Sirmaur district,” he added.

The Congress government will roll out two more guarantees — purchase of cow dung from farmers and the Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Startup Scheme — at the function being held in Bilaspur on December 11 to celebrate its two years in office.

“We will highlight our achievements in the two-year tenure and the failures of the BJP,” said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu after a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) here today.

The Chief Minister said that no arrears on water bills would be charged from people in rural areas. “Only Rs 100 as maintenance fee will be charged,” he added.

The CLP meeting was held to discuss the preparations and other issues related to the function. While the Chief Minister chaired the CLP meeting, most of the ministers and MLAs attended it. State party president Pratibha Singh was also present.

“We are expecting around 25,000 people at the function. The Chief Minister gave necessary directions to everyone during the meeting,” said Pratibha.

Sukhu said that they would go the public with their achievements like the restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS), grant of Rs 1,500 per month to women, fixing minimum support price (MSP) for milk, purchase of maize at Rs 30 per kg, clearing Rs 153 crore pending payment of culled apple in one go, etc.

“We gave the OPS to government employees and the BJP retaliated by reducing our loan limit by Rs 1,500 crore. Can the BJP say it will give the OPS to the employees?” he added.

The Chief Minister said that they would highlight the failures of the previous BJP government at the function.

“During the BJP rule, we saw paper leak in the police recruitment exam and other exams conducted by the Himachal Pradesh Staff Service Commission. Corruption was rampant during the BJP rule,” he added.

Meanwhile, the BJP has decided to hold protests at various places from December 8 to highlight the failures of the Congress government.

A BJP delegation comprising top leaders will meet the Governor on December 11 and hand over a document to him highlighting the government’s failures.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will have to realign the Pathankot-Mandi four-lane road due to the Gaggal airport expansion project.

The possibility of the realignment of the road is giving sleepless nights to many villagers living around Gaggal. They fear that the new aligned road may pass through their area. As a result, they may lose their houses, shops or business establishments.

Sanjay Chaudhary, a resident of Bagli near Gaggal, says, “His shop is located on the Bagli-Dharamsala road. My family is living in tension since we came to know that the alignment of the Pathankot-Mandi four-lane road will be changed due to the Gaggal airport expansion project.

We fear that if the new aligned road passes through our village, I might lose my shop, which is the only source of livelihood for my family. We request the government to decide on the road realignment at the earliest so that people can plan accordingly.”

Deepak, another resident of the area, says, “Earlier, our village was not covered under the Pathankot-Mandi four-lane road project.

However, since a new alignment of the road is being proposed due to the Gaggal airport expansion project, we do not know what will happen in future. The government should take a decision on the road alignment at the earliest so that people can make resettlement plans.”

The sources say that due to the Gaggal airport expansion project, the present road passing through it may be closed for general traffic and it could become part of the airport. So, the government may have to plan alternative roads to connect the area.

Vikas Surjewala, Project Director of the NHAI for the Pathankot-Mandi road project, says that a consultant for the realignment of the Pathankot-Mandi four-lane road in Gaggal has been appointed.

He is likely to submit his report within next two months. The NHAI will decide on the realignment of the road in Gaggal on the basis of the consultant’s report, he adds.

The mushrooming of shops and business establishments along roads in Kangra district is creating problems for people during the execution of the road widening projects, as rules for construction are hardly followed.

As per the rules, no construction can take place within 25 feet of the edges of the state roads or national highways.

For NHAI roads, no construction is allowed within 100 feet from their edges. Interestingly, though the work for the widening of the Pathankot-Mandi highway is underway, people are raising new construction right on the edges of the roads in the Palampur-Baijnath section.

Business establishments are coming up right on the edges of the Dharamsala-Gaggal highway under the nose of the authorities concerned but no action is being taken.

The cash-strapped Himachal Government raised a loan of Rs 500 crore last week, exhausting its limit of Rs 6,200 crore loan for the current year.

Apart from exhausting the loan limit of Rs 6,200 crore for the current year (April 1 to December 31, 2024), the state government has also applied for a loan for the last quarter of the financial year 2024-25. In the financial year 2023-24, the loan raising limit for Himachal had been fixed at Rs 1,700 crore for the last quarter.

The state government could use this last instalment of Rs 500 crore loan for footing the pensions of the retired government employees. The over 2.25 lakh government employees have received their salaries but the retired employees are yet to receive their pension.

Faced with a grave financial crisis, Himachal requires Rs 2,000 crore per month to foot its committed expenditure on salary and pension.

With hardly any revenue-generating sectors, the state government is heavily dependent on the Centre for allocations under various heads. In fact, the state made national headlines two months ago when its employees and pensioners received delayed salaries and pensions. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu claimed that this had been done merely to save the extra money that had to be paid on raising loans for giving salaries on the first of month.

On an average, Himachal has a loan limit of about Rs 8,000 crore in a financial year but the state is barely able to meet its committed liabilities with this amount. “Earlier, we could raise an additional loan of Rs 1,500 crore in lieu of the New Pension Scheme (NPS) contribution, which is now not possible after restoration of the old pension scheme,” an official said.

As part of the fulfilment of the 10 guarantees made by the ruling Congress in the run-up to the 2022 Vidhan Sabha poll, the state government restored the old pension scheme for over 1.35 lakh employees, putting an additional burden on the exchequer.

Road ahead may be tougher

Himachal needs Rs 2,000 crore per month to foot expenditure on salary and pension
State restored old pension scheme for 1.35 lakh employees, putting an additional burden on exchequer
Next financial year 2025-26 can be tougher as the revenue deficit grant of Rs 6,258 crore, received from the Centre this year, will be reduced to almost half

The Sach Pass, recently renamed as Sache Jot, a vital lifeline connecting the tribal Pangi Valley to Chamba district headquarters, has been closed for vehicular movement until further notice, marking the beginning of its annual winter closure.

Chamba Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repswal issued the order under Section 115 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, prioritising public safety and the prevention of untoward incidents.

The closure comes as temperatures at the 4,414-metre-high mountain pass have started to dip below freezing point.

In the order, Repaswal states that the SDM of Pangi (Killar) reported that the road surface is becoming increasingly icy, especially during the early morning and late evening hours.

Sudden snowfall in the region further raises the risk of travellers getting stranded. Acting on this advisory, district authorities decided to shut the route to ensure the safety of residents and travellers.

Given the challenging road conditions, the SDM had requested the district administration to issue a public advisory, warning residents and visitors about the hazards of travelling through Sach Pass.

While the closure of Sach Pass is an annual phenomenon, it significantly impacts the residents of Pangi Valley.

For months, they will now have to rely on alternative routes through Manali or Jammu and Kashmir, which stretch the travel distance to Chamba from 172 km to over 650 km. This detour, though necessary, increases the cost and time for accessing essential services or visiting family members in other parts of the district.

Sach Pass, known for its breathtaking vistas and challenging terrain, remains a symbol of resilience and connectivity for the people of Pangi Valley.

Characterised by harsh terrain and severe climatic conditions, Pangi remains one of the most backward regions in Himachal Pradesh.

Separated from the rest of the state by the Pir Panjal mountain range, the region has limited connectivity, particularly during the winter, when the alternative routes to get closed when it snows heavily.

The Shimla district administration has enforced a two-month ban on public meetings, processions, rallies, protests, and similar activities in 10 key areas of the state capital.

The restrictions, issued under Section 6 of the Punjab State Security Act, 1953, aim to maintain public order and include areas such as Chotta Shimla to Ridge and Kennedy House, Scandal Point to Kali Bari Temple, and Chotta Shimla Chowk to Raj Bhawan, among others.

The order, issued by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anupam Kashyap, also prohibits carrying objects that could be used as weapons in these areas.

The ban applies immediately but excludes police, paramilitary or military personnel on duty. Events in these restricted areas require prior permission from competent authorities. Violators will face legal action.

Additionally, the DC has mandated that employers, contractors and businesspersons in Shimla district cannot hire migrant workers for informal jobs without registering their details, including a passport-sized photograph, with the respective Station House Officer (SHO).

Individuals intending to engage in self-employment or informal work in Shimla must inform the local police station in advance.

Failure to comply will lead to punitive action under Section 223 of the Indian Citizen Security Code, 2023. These measures, effective immediately, are part of broader efforts to ensure security and maintain order in the district.

Three youths kidnapped a youth by dragging him into an SUV near Vardhman Textiles at Baddi in this district on Saturday evening. A video of the incident has gone viral.

Motorists were seen driving on the road as usual with none bothering to intercept as the miscreants managed to kidnap the youth.

The trio got down from the SUV and after crossing the road dragged the youth standing on the other side of the road and bundled him into the car even as the victim resisted the attempt. He was beaten up as he tried to free himself from their clutches.

The police have registered a case after the video went viral, said Additional SP Baddi Ashok Verma.

Former Deputy Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation, Tikender Singh Panwar, has filed an FIR against various officials of Home Department, police officials and the owners of two trucks and a large crane for plying on The Ridge, a vehicle prohibited zone which is “sinking”.

The Ridge has a 100-year-old water tank beneath and the foundation area towards Rivoli Theatre and Ice Skating Rink has been sinking. Vehicles are banned on The Ridge and only ambulances are allowed.

Sharing links of two videos, Tikender said they were sufficient to prove the threat that was posed to the lives of Shimla residents.

“The first one is a link of two truck plying on the Ridge Tank at Shimla. This tank is in the vulnerable zone and no vehicular movement is allowed on it. The second link of a large crane parked at the Ridge which further increases the vulnerability of the aforesaid tank,” he said.

Prompting the police to take action, Panwar said, “I request you to take it urgently, failing which, I will be forced to knock the doors of Himachal Pradesh High Court that has already decided to not to allow such functions at the Ridge. Still holding these functions invite contempt of their orders.”

The Himachal Pradesh government’s tryst with controversies does not seem to end.

The residents of the hill state were yet to digest the “samosas and cake” controversy, now it is reeling under the heavy weight of trucks seen plying on The Ridge in Shimla, a vehicle prohibited zone which is “sinking”.

A video of two trucks, parked right next to the historic church in Shimla, has gone viral on social media. It has left the locals fuming.

The Ridge has a 100-year-old water tank beneath and the foundation area towards Rivoli Theatre and Ice Skating Rink has been sinking. Vehicles are banned on The Ridge and only ambulances are allowed.

The driving of heavy trucks on to The Ridge has been criticised alike by the opposition and the locals.

Tikender Singh Panwar, Shimla’s former deputy mayor and CPI(M) leader, has filed an FIR against various officials of the Home Department, police officials and owners of the two trucks and the large crane for posing threat to the historic Ridge.

Panwar pointed out that despite a strict order from the Himachal Pradesh High Court prohibiting any activity at the Ridge, government agencies continued to flout the directive. He condemned the violation of the high court order, claiming that The Ridge was being turned into a commercial space akin to “Delhi Haat” in the national capital. He also appealed to the people of Shimla to raise their voices against such practices.

On Friday, several illegal stalls at the Ridge area here were removed following a visit by the city’s Mayor Surender Chauhan, who emphasised that such structures could not be put up in the area that sits on top of a large water tank.

Chauhan said: “There is a huge water tank under The Ridge and such a huge structure cannot be built here as it could put pressure on the area.”

“But who allowed the structures to come up there, without anyone’s permission is a big question,” commented one user on the viral video, another said: “Trucks on The Ridge? This is absolutely ridiculous!”.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met with Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal in New Delhi, seeking a special industrial package for the state. Sukhu emphasised the need for balanced regional development, citing the state’s unique challenges due to its hilly terrain.

The CM requested a special industrial package similar to those granted to Jammu and Kashmir and the north-eastern states. He also urged the resumption of the transport subsidy scheme for hilly areas, which would help promote industrial production and boost exports.

Additionally, Sukhu requested funds for industrial infrastructure development projects, quality testing labs, and certification labs for export promotion. He also sought the release of pending capital subsidies under the Industrial Development Scheme and the sanction of pending cases.

Union Minister Goyal assured Sukhu that the issues raised would be examined, and all possible support would be extended to the state.

Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani and other senior officers of the state also attended the meeting

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met with Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal in New Delhi, seeking a special industrial package for the state. Sukhu emphasised the need for balanced regional development, citing the state’s unique challenges due to its hilly terrain.

The CM requested a special industrial package similar to those granted to Jammu and Kashmir and the north-eastern states. He also urged the resumption of the transport subsidy scheme for hilly areas, which would help promote industrial production and boost exports.

Additionally, Sukhu requested funds for industrial infrastructure development projects, quality testing labs, and certification labs for export promotion. He also sought the release of pending capital subsidies under the Industrial Development Scheme and the sanction of pending cases.

Union Minister Goyal assured Sukhu that the issues raised would be examined, and all possible support would be extended to the state.

Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani and other senior officers of the state also attended the meeting.

State Congress president Pratibha Singh left for New Delhi on Thursday to participate in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Friday.

Apart from attending the CWC meeting, she will meet the party’s top brass and is likely to discuss the reconstitution of the dissolved Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is already in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, the 16 Central observers, appointed by the All India Congress Committee to facilitate the reconstitution of the HPCC, headed to the districts assigned to them to gather feedback from the common people, grassroots party workers and local leaders.

In this connection, Rajiv Verma, the observer appointed by the AICC for district Shimla, today interacted with the leaders belonging to Shimla district at the state Congress headquarters and sought their opinion regarding the formation of District Congress and Block Congress Committees.

Shimla Municipal Corporation Mayor Surender Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal, all councilors of the party, and district Congress leaders shared their views with the observer. Besides, former MLAs Sohan Lal and Chiranji Lal Kashyap also met him.