Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu felicitated meritorious students of Government Senior Secondary School, Kothi Deora Ghatti in Solan, today. He said that the government was taking concrete steps to address the declining enrolment in government schools.

Sukhu, while addressing the gathering, made several announcements for the improvement of educational facilities in the region. He said that commerce classes would be started in Government Senior Secondary School, Kothi Deora Ghatti, and kabaddi players of the school would be provided sports kits.

He added that the state government would allocate funds for the under-construction educational institutions where 60 per cent building work had been completed with a target to finish these projects within two years.

Sukhu emphasised the importance of quality education and the health of children. “In one-of-a-kind initiative, the government has sent 200 teachers to Singapore on an exposure tour. The government has plans to extend this programme to include students next year,” he said.

He also highlighted the government’s efforts to promote sports activities by increasing the diet money of sports persons. “The allowance has been raised from Rs 240 to Rs 400 for state-level competitions, Rs 300 for district-level and Rs 240 for block-level events. For athletes competing outside the state, the diet money has been increased to Rs 500,” he added.

Sukhu said that the state government had also enhanced travel facilities for players attending sports events in other states. He announced that tournaments for the under-14 age group would now be organised at both district and state levels.

The Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh had slipped to the 18th position in the national quality education ranking. “To address the issue, the government has been working tirelessly over the past 20 months to implement extensive reforms in the education system. One of the key initiatives is the phased introduction of Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools equipped with smart classrooms, audio-visual teaching aids and sports facilities in rural areas of all Assembly constituencies. Schools have also been given freedom to select smart uniforms, as per their preferences,” he added.

Sukhu said that 99 primary schools with zero student enrolment had been closed, while those with less than five students were being merged. Furthermore, the government was introducing futuristic courses in educational institutions to ensure students receive quality education, he Added. He expressed confidence that these steps would yield positive results in the long run. Earlier, Chairman of Jogindra Cooperative Bank, Mukesh Sharma, welcomed the Chief Minister upon his arrival in Solan.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that Himachal would set up a dedicated ‘Environmental Cell’ within the Urban Development Department for effective urban waste management in urban areas.

Sukhu said the dedicated cell was being set up to ensure cleaner and sustainable urban environment. “This initiative aims to address the growing challenges of solid and liquid waste management in urban centres,” he added.

He said that the state’s 60 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), which include five Municipal Corporations, 29 Municipal Councils and 26 Nagar Panchayats, were struggling to cope up with the increasing demand for municipal services.

“Solid and Liquid Waste Management is the biggest challenge being faced by the urban local bodies today. Therefore, there will be a dedicated cell to meet these challenges, ensuring cleaner and sustainable urban environments across Himachal,” the Chief Minister stated.

Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA) has decided to boycott OPD services and elective surgeries indefinitely from tomorrow onwards.

“We have decided to boycott OPD services and elective OTs from tomorrow onwards. Our protest will continue till the time our central bodies ask us to discontinue our protest,” said Dr Vikas Thakur, secretary, HMOA. The doctors are protesting the brutal rape and murder of a resident doctor at a medical college in Kolkata.

Meanwhile, the faculty of the IGMC, Shimla, and Tanda Medical College has also announced that OPDs and elective OTs would remain suspended on Monday. The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of IGMC, Shimla, and other medical colleges, who are spearheading the protest, are also skipping the routine services. It’s yet not known whether the medical colleges will start offering OPD services from Tuesday onwards.

With doctors skipping routine services from primary health centres to medical colleges, patients are going to face a lot of inconvenience. Even though emergency services will continue as usual in all health facilities, the patients are bound to face a lot of problem, especially in IGMC where patients come for treatment from across the state.

Apart from justice for the victim, the doctors here are demanding immediate implementation of Himachal Pradesh Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions Amendment Act, 2017, to safeguard the rights of health workers. Besides, the resident doctors, especially the women doctors, have been demanding more CCTV cameras at sensitive points, more security personnel and separate duty rooms for women staff.

The hospital administration, along with RDA representatives, has taken stock of the facilities at the hospital. “We have looked into their concerns and will plug whatever loopholes we have come across,” said Dr. Sita Thakur, IGMC principal.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of development projects worth Rs 184 crore at various places in the district.

These included a multipurpose sports complex with an eight-lane swimming pool and a shooting range at Nadaun to be constructed at an outlay of Rs 65 crore. The sports complex would also have wrestling, boxing, kabaddi, yoga, table tennis and badminton courts.

The Chief Minister emphasised on the importance of sports for encouraging the youth to refrain them from drugs. “The sports complex will be an example of our commitment to nurture talent and ensuring the physical and mental well-being of our youth,” he added.

The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of two farmer training centres at Dhanpur (Bara) and at the Agriculture Complex in the town to be constructed at a cost of Rs 4.50 crore.

He said that these centres would empower farmers through knowledge dissemination, skill development and the adoption of modern agricultural practices.

He said that the farmers would be trained in irrigation techniques, crop diversification and advanced vegetable production methods. Sukhu also laid the foundation stone of the projects of widening and strengthening of five roads — Bhattha-Salauni-Deothsidh (Rs 35 crore), Rangas-Kangu-Dhaneta (Rs 49 crore), Ganliyan-Badaitar (Rs 5.67 crore) and Paniyala-Kashmir and Dhaneta-Barsar roads (Rs 16 crore).

Sukhu inaugurated a Centre of Excellence at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Bara, established at a cost of Rs 1.31 crore.

He said that the state government was committed to strengthening the rural economy and had decided to purchase naturally-grown wheat at the rate of Rs 40 per kg and maize at Rs 30 per kg. He added that the minimum support price (MSP) of cow milk had been raised from Rs 32 per litre to Rs 45 per litre and of buffalo milk from Rs 47 per litre to Rs 55 per litre.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated a PG block at the College of Horticulture and Forestry at Neri constructed at a cost of Rs 3.46 crore and laid the foundation stone of a girls hostel. Ayush and Sports Minister Yadvinder Goma, MLAs Suresh Kumar and Ranjeet Rana (Sujanpur), Chairman of Kangra Cooperative Bank Kuldeep Pathania and the Chairman of Kangra Cooperative Primary Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Ram Chander Pathania were present on the occasion.

Sports complex to come up at Nadaun

A multipurpose sports complex with an eight-lane swimming pool and a shooting range will be constructed at Nadaun at a cost of ~65 crore.
This sports complex will also have wrestling, boxing, kabaddi, yoga, table tennis and badminton courts.
The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of two farmer training centres at Dhanpur (Bara) and at the Agriculture Complex in Hamirpur to be constructed at a cost of ~4.50 crore.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who also holds the charge of the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department, today inspected the damaged portion of the Shah irrigation canal project in the Fatehpur Assembly segment of Kangra.

It is the lone canal irrigation project in the state and was damaged due to flashfloods in the Beas during the monsoon last year. The portion of the Shah canal from where water is picked up from the Beas was damaged in flashfloods and as a result, 30 villages in Fatehpur and Nurpur areas of Kangra district had not been getting irrigation water since last year.

Sources said that about 10,000 farmers were not getting water to irrigate their fields. The problems of the farmers of the region multiplied this summer due to extreme heat and drought-like conditions in June and July. Agnihotri directed officials of the Jal Shakti Department to immediately start the repair work on the damaged portion of the Shah canal.

He said that the irrigation and drinking water projects in Kangra district had suffered extensive damage estimated at Rs 300 crore during the monsoon last year. While most of the drinking water schemes had been made functional, the work on the damaged portion of the Shah canal had been delayed due to a paucity of funds. The officials concerned had been directed to make a fresh estimate for the repair work on the canal and start it soon, he added.

Illegal mining

The Jal Shakti Department has estimated that about ~25 crore is required for the repair of the Shah canal
Farmers of the region blame illegal mining for the damage to the project

A 30-metre patch of a road has been damaged due to a cloudburst triggered by heavy rainfall that hit Damrali village in Taklech Panchayat in Rampur subdivision of Shimla.

However, no loss of life has been reported in the incident. This is the second cloudburst incident that has occurred in Rampur area during the ongoing monsoon season.

The incident happened on Friday night when Damrali and Taklech village received heavy rain, which escalated into a cloudburst in Damrali, rising the water levels of a nallah leading to a flood-like situation.

A team led by Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rampur Nishant Tomar left for the spot to assess the situation as soon as they received the information.

SDM said that the team could not reach the spot because the road had been broken at one point, however, the district administration contacted the local Panchayat Pradhan who confirmed that no loss of life and property has occured in the incident.

He said that the mobile tower located in Damrali has also been affected due to which, mobile signals in six panchayats have been affected.

In such a situation, we will go to the spot in the morning,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap and Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi reached Nogli during the night to take stock of the situation.

The local Met office on Friday issued a ‘yellow’ alert for heavy rain in 10 of Himachal Pradesh’s 12 districts till August 20 even as showers in parts of the state led to the closure of 58 roads, including a national highway.

The wet spell in the state is likely to continue till August 22, the Met office here said.

It also warned of low-flash flood risk in parts of Chamba, Kangra, Shimla and Sirmaur districts till Saturday and cautioned of the possibility of damage to plantations, crops, vulnerable structures and kutcha houses.

The National Highway-707 between Hatkoti in Shimla district and Poanta Sahib in Sirmaur district was among the 58 roads closed due to rain on Friday, State Emergency Operation Centre said.

Nineteen roads are closed in Shimla, 14 in Mandi, 12 in Kangra, eight in Kullu, three in Kinnaur and one each in Sirmaur and Lahaul and Spiti districts, it added.

The rainfall also disrupted 31 power and four water supply schemes.

Since Thursday evening, Dalhousie recorded the highest rainfall at 62 mm, followed by Palampur (56 mm), Kandaghat 936.6 mm), Ghamroor (35.6 mm), Nagrota Suriyan (32 mm), Kangra (28.2 mm), Guler (23.8 mm) and Dharamshala (17.8 mm).

Himachal Pradesh’s rainfall deficit this monsoon stood at 23 per cent till Friday with the state receiving 397.9 mm rain against an average of 513.5 mm.

Officials said 120 people were killed in rain-related incidents and the state suffered losses of about Rs 1,129 crore between June 27 and Friday.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest place in Himachal Pradesh with a night temperature of 10.7 degrees Celsius while Una was the hottest, recording a maximum temperature of 36.4 degrees.

Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh today visited the cloudburst-hit Rajban village in the Darang Assembly constituency of Mandi district and met with the affected villagers. He was accompanied by former minister Kaul Singh Thakur. On July 31, a cloudburst had caused falshfloods in Rajban village, claiming the lives of nine persons while one person went missing.

The minister said that the area had become unsafe for reconstruction due to the recent flashfloods. He added that he would consult Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu if the four affected families of Rajban village could be relocated to a safer place.

Vikramaditya expressed sympathy to the falshflood-hit families and assured them that the government would provide all possible assistance. The government had already announced Rs 4 lakh each for all families which had lost their members.

He announced a plan for infrastructure development in the region. He said that the Thaltukhod-Panjoud road would be upgraded at a cost of Rs 10 crore and its detailed project report (DPR) had already been submitted to NABARD for approval. He added that the construction of the strategically-important Bhubhu Jot tunnel would greatly benefit the area people.

Vikramaditya commended the district administration and various departments for their swift and effective relief efforts after the cloudburst. He praised the officials for their dedication and excellent relief work.

The minister also addressed issues raised by the residents of Thaltukhod. SDM, Padhar, Himani Sharma, Tehsildar Bhavna Verma, senior PWD and other administrative officers were present during the visit.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government had faced significant challenges on political, economic and disaster fronts in a short span of 20 months.

Many conspiracies were hatched to destabilise the democratically elected government through money power, he alleged.

Sukhu was addressing the gathering during a state-level Independence Day function at Shaheed Bhuvnesh Dogra Ground in Dehra, on Thursday.

The CM hoisted the national flag and took a salute from the march past. Paying tributes to the martyrs, he said Himachal Pradesh is home to the country’s first Param Vir Chakra recipient, Major Somnath Sharma, a pride for the state.

On the occasion, Sukhu made major announcements including disbursement of arrears to all pensioners and family pensioners above the age of 75 years.

The CM said while the arrears of employees above the age of 75 years would be given immediately, the arrears of other employees would be paid in a phased manner.

He also said that the claims of the Pong Dam Oustees would be settled under the Forest Rights Act.

Under the Chief Minister Sukh Shiksha Yojana, Sukhu announced a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 for children up to the age of 18 years who are from single-woman households, destitute women, widows and specially-abled parents.

The government will also bear the educational expenses of these children in IITs, IIMs, medical colleges, and for PhD programmes until they turn 27 years.

Terming that the state was grappling with serious economic challenges, Sukhu alleged it was due to certain decisions made by the previous BJP government, which added an additional burden of thousands of crores.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today expressed concern over the rising cases of cancer in the state and urged farmers to adopt chemical-free farming practices. He reviewed various schemes of the Agriculture Department here.

Sukhu said that products grown using natural farming methods would be branded and marketed under a distinct trademark to ensure better prices to the farmers associated with the sector. He directed officials concerned to evolve a comprehensive system for the certification, packaging and marketing of natural farming produce.

He said that a special laboratory would be set up in the state for soil testing and to certify the produces.

He added that 70 per cent of the population was associated with the agriculture sector and therefore, the state government was laying special focus on enhancing the income of people living in rural areas. “The rural economy is the priority of the state government and special initiatives have been taken in the Budget 2024-25 to boost the economy,” he claimed.

The Chief Minister said that in future, the Agriculture and Jal Shakti departments, in collaboration with the JICA and SHIVA projects, would implement integrated irrigation schemes to maximise benefits for the farmers and make these schemes viable. He assured the farmers that the government would ensure adequate funds for the remodelling and repair of traditional ‘kuhals’. He directed the officials to set up cold stores according to the requirements and specific crop production needs of the districts.

Sukhu said that the state government was also making earnest efforts to enhance milk production and the procurement rates for buffalo and cow milk had been increased to Rs 55 and Rs 45 per litre, respectively. He added, “The government is contemplating to enhance financial assistance to farmers for purchasing indigenous cows and buffalos in natural farming clusters.” He stressed the need to integrate natural farming, animal rearing, fisheries and beekeeping.

Sukhu also reviewed the functioning of the JICA and Milkfed and asked the officials to digitise the working of these organisations. Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar and senior officers attended the meeting.

Distinct trademark for natural products

Products grown using natural farming methods will be branded and marketed under a distinct trademark to ensure better prices to the farmers associated with the sector, said Sukhu
Officials told to evolve a comprehensive system for the certification, packaging and marketing of natural farming produce

The government contemplating to enhance financial assistance to farmers for purchasing indigenous cows and buffalos in natural farming clusters

Need to integrate natural farming, animal rearing, fishery and beekeeping stressed
Officials given directions to digitise the functioning of the JICA and Milkfed

Rain-induced landslides and flash floods led to the closure of 213 roads in Himachal Pradesh, with the local Met office issuing a ‘yellow’ warning for more heavy rainfall in isolated parts of the state till August 19.

Since Monday evening, Naina Devi recorded the highest rainfall at 96.4 mm, followed by Dharamsala (25 mm), Kandaghat (10.4 mm) and Kahu (9.2 mm).

Kinnaur district remained cut off from Shimla following a landslide in Negulsari. Vehicular traffic on the Shimla-Kalka National Highway moved at a snail’s pace after fog in several areas reduced visibility.

The State Emergency Operation Centre said 89 roads were closed in Shimla, 42 in Sirmaur, 37 in Mandi, 26 in Kullu, six in Kangra, five in Chamba and four each in Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti.

It added that 218 power and 131 water supply schemes were also affected.

Officials said 110 people were killed in rain-related incidents and the state suffered losses of about Rs 1,004 crore between June 27 and August 12.

Heavy rain wreaked havoc in the Chopal subdivision of Shimla district as around 1,300 apple and 70 pear trees in the Paudiya panchayat were swept away and a 100-metre stretch of a link road connecting the panchayat to Nerwa, Chopal and Shimla were damaged due to a massive landslide in the wee hours of today.

No loss of life was reported in the incident. As per the reports, the landslide that occurred around 4 am destroyed apple orchards belonging to 10 villagers. The orchards belonged to Amar Singh, Pratap Singh, Mohan Singh, Gyan Singh, Joginader Singh Torta, Balbir Singh Torta, Prakash, Shyam, Naresh Kumar, all residents of Tarapur village, and Sunder Singh, a resident of Sarahan village under the Paudiya panchayat. Besides, 300 apple boxes belonging to Chet Ram were washed away in the landslide. Officials of the Revenue and Public Works Departments reached the spot to assess the loss.

Tapinder Mohan, pradhan of Paudiya panchayat, said the orchardists were worst affected as the apple and pears trees had been washed away in the incident. He said these apple trees were planted around 10 years ago and the fruit was already harvested.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested two professors from Punjab who were on an inspection duty on behalf of Pharmacy Council of India to evaluate pharmacy colleges in Kangra district.

SP Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Balbir Thakur, stated that acting on a tip-off, the Vigilance Bureau team in Dharamsala intercepted a Punjab-registered Creta car in the Rakkad area on Sunday. Two individuals, Rakesh Chawla and Puneet Kumar, both professors at different universities in Punjab, were detained and found with Rs 3.5 lakh, which they couldn’t account for.

he duo had recently inspected University Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research in Palampur, assigned by Pharmacy Council of India. It is suspected that they received illegal benefits from the institution.

A case has been registered against them under Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (amended in 2018), at State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau police station in Dharamsala. They were arrested on Sunday evening, and further investigation is underway.

Lance Naik Praveen Sharma, a 26-year-old soldier from the Habban region in Rajgarh subdivision of Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmour district, was martyred in a fierce encounter with terrorists in the dense forests of Kokernag, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir.

The encounter, which began on Saturday afternoon, involved Praveen, a native of Palu village in Habban, who was part of Operation Rakshak—a mission aimed at neutralising terrorist elements in the region. Late in the evening, the Indian Army delivered the news of his martyrdom to his family.

Praveen served in the First Para Regiment, a unit known for its bravery and expertise in some of the most dangerous operations undertaken by the Indian Army. The operation in Kokernag, one of the many aimed at eliminating terrorist threats in Jammu and Kashmir, was marked by intense fighting. Despite the challenges and risks, Praveen displayed extraordinary valour and made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.

The Sirmour district administration was informed of his martyrdom. They promptly reached out to his family. Efforts to retrieve his mortal remains from the operation area were initiated on Saturday afternoon. The army has communicated that Praveen’s body will be airlifted to Chandigarh, from where it will be transported to his ancestral village in Habban for the final rites. The station headquarters in Nahan has been tasked with making all necessary arrangements for the soldier’s last journey.

Praveen hailed from a distinguished lineage. He was the descendant of a freedom fighter who participated in the Pajhota Movement, a significant resistance against British colonial rule. Praveen was the only son of his parents, Rekha Sharma and Rajesh Sharma, who have now been left heartbroken by his loss. The family, who was preparing for his upcoming wedding just a few months away, is now faced with the unimaginable sorrow of his martyrdom.

Nine members of a family from Himachal Pradesh travelling in an SUV to attend a wedding in Punjab’s Nawanshahr were swept away along with the vehicle in a sudden flood in a rivulet near Jejon town in Mahilpur block of Hoshiarpur district on Sunday.

Of the 11 people travelling in the SUV, 10, including the driver, drowned while one was rescued.

According to information, Deepak Bhatia, a resident of Dehra near Mehatpur in Una district of Himachal Pradesh, along with nine members of his family, had left for Nawanshahr to attend a wedding.

Those accompanying Deepak were his father Surjeet Bhatia, mother Paramjeet Kaur, uncle Sarup Chand, aunts Bindar and Shino, daughters Bhavna (18) and Anku (20), and son Harmeet (12) besides the SUV driver.

As the vehicle was passing through the Jejon rivulet after crossing the Himachal border, suddenly the flow of water in the rivulet increased and their vehicle got stuck in the mud and later started flowing with the strong current.

The Supreme Court has issued a contempt of court notice to a senior SBI official for failing to comply with its order to offer a One Time Settlement (OTS) to a Himachal Pradesh business firm operating from Chandigarh with regard to adjustment of subsidy amount towards repayment of interest and instalments of loan.

A Bench led by Justice Vikram Nath asked the of SBI Managing Director, Risk Compliance & Stressed Assets Resolution Group, Nariman Point, Mumbai and SBI Ludhiana Deputy General Manager Pradeep Pandhi to be present before it on August 20 for framing of charges against them for his failure to comply with its September 30, 2021 order.

Prima facie, we are satisfied that a case for contempt is made out. Issue notice to alleged contemnor/respondent No. 2, i.e. Mr. Swaminathan J, Managing Director, Risk Compliance & Stressed Assets Resolution Group, State Bank of India. List this case on 20.08.2024 for framing of charges,” the Bench – which also included Justice PB Varale – said in its August 6 order.

The Bench, however, clarified that “if the alleged contemnor(s)/ respondent(s), who are presently named in the contempt petition, are not holding the said post(s), in that case, the person(s) holding the said post(s) presently will remain present in the Court on 20.08.2024.”

Heavy rains lashed parts of Himachal Pradesh as 128 roads remained closed in the state due to landslides and flash floods.

The regional Met office has also issued an ‘orange’ warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning, at isolated places on Saturday and a ‘yellow’ warning for heavy rain till August 16.

Heavy rains lashed parts of the state with Nahan (Sirmaur) recording the highest rainfall of 168.3 mm since Friday evening, followed by 106.4 mm in Sandhole, 93.2 mm in Nagrota Suriyan, 67 mm in Dhaulakuan, 53.2 mm in Jubberhatti and 45.6 mm in Kandaghat.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, 44 power and 67 water supply schemes have been disrupted due to the rains.

The Met department also warned of a low to moderate flash flood risk in isolated parts of Mandi, Sirmaur, Shimla and Kullu districts till Sunday morning.

The weather department has cautioned of the possibility of damage to plantations, crops, vulnerable structures and ‘kutcha’ houses due to strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.

In view of an ‘orange’ alert of heavy to very heavy rain in Hamirpur district on Saturday, Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner, Amarjit Singh appealed to the residents to take precautions and avoid going near rivers and streams.

He also asked people to not take shelter under trees in bad weather and maintain a safe distance from power wires.

More than 100 people have been killed in rain-related incidents. The state has suffered losses of about Rs 842 crores between June 27 and August 9, officials added.

The rainfall deficit in the state during the monsoon that began on June 1 stood at 28 per cent till August 10 with Himachal Pradesh receiving 328.8 mm rain against an average of 455.5 mm.

The state government has started a new initiative, the HIM-UNNATI scheme, for promoting natural farming across the state. With an allocation of Rs 150 crore, this scheme will bolster the efforts of approximately 1.92 lakh farmers already practising the chemical-free farming on over 32,149 hectares of land.

The programme will focus on making the agriculture sector economically viable through a cluster-based development model and promoting natural farming.

Under HIM-UNNATI, the government will consolidate smallholding farmers to ensure bulk production, ensuring a sufficient marketable surplus. The initiative will also integrate various ongoing agricultural schemes and coordinate with departments such as Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, Fisheries, and Rural Development to maximize the scheme’s impact.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, “The scheme would particularly benefit small and marginal farmers, women farmers, and those from weaker sections of society, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The scheme is expected to generate self-employment opportunities for around 50,000 farmers through the creation of 2,600 focused agricultural clusters. Besides, it is likely to increase productivity by 15-20 percent in vegetables and cereals in the state.” — TNS

Chandigarh-Manali highway has been restored to traffic between Mandi and Pandoh on Friday.

The highway was earlier blocked at approximately 9 miles in Mandi district due to a major landslide since Thursday night.

The landslide, triggered by heavy rains, led to a complete standstill in traffic movement in the region, leaving numerous vehicles stranded.