One person was killed and three others injured after shooting stones hit a Bolero Camper vehicle near Datiyar on the Parwanoo-Dharampur section of National Highway-5, around 3:17 am on Monday.

The vehicle carrying a Punjab-based vernacular daily was bound for Shimla from Jalandhar.

According to officials, the deceased has been identified as Dev Raj (40), a resident of Phagwara, while those injured are Kuldeep Singh (40) from Garhshankar, Vandana Sondhi (43) and her son Bhavuk (23) from Jalandhar.

The front portion of the vehicle was damaged as heavy boulders rained down on it.

Solan SP Gaurav Singh said that a passersby informed the police about the incident in which a person died on the spot while others are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Parwanoo.

“Further investigation is under way,” he added.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that his government was according top priority to the upliftment of weaker sections to create a just and equitable society, where everyone had access to opportunities and resources.

In a statement issued here today, the Chief Minister said his government has launched various schemes to benefit these sections so that they could lead a dignified life. The state government is providing a grant of Rs 1.50 lakh to SC, ST and OBCs with less than Rs 50,000 per annum for construction of houses under the Swaran Jayanti Ashray Yojna. He said Rs 17.25 crore has been spent under this scheme during the last financial year, benefitting 1,150 homeless persons.

Sukhu said the state government is also offering a scheme to make the weaker sections of society to become self-sufficient by imparting them training in professional courses and offering financial assistance for purchase of necessary equipments to start their ventures. He said the state government is providing computer training free of cost to children from weaker sections.

He said Rs 1,000 per month stipend is being given during training and Rs 1,500 during the six-month proficiency training in government offices, with 3,637 persons benefitting. Sukhu said the state government is funding education, health, social, economic, skill development, drinking water sports, sanitation and solar energy sector for the minority. He said a common centre at Kaza is being constructed with an outlay of Rs 12.77 crore. He said 11 projects worth Rs 25.45 crore have been approved by the government for the benefit of minorities.

Fifty-six people have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh and the state has suffered losses of Rs 410 crore since the onset of monsoon on June 27, the emergency operation centre said.

According to the data from the state centre, 21 died after falling from heights, 18 due to accidental drowning, eight each due to snake bites and electrocution while one died in a flash flood.

No deaths were reported due to landslides or cloudburst, it said.

About 100 houses were damaged, with the Public Works Department suffering the maximum loss of Rs 172 crore, followed by the Horticulture Department with Rs Rs 139 crores, the centre added.

The Shimla meteorological office issued a ‘yellow’ alert, warning for heavy rainf at isolated places in eight districts of the state till July 31 and predicted a wet spell till August 2.

The MeT cautioned about damage to plantations, standing crops, vulnerable structures and ‘kutcha’ houses due to strong winds, and waterlogging in low-lying areas.

Intermittent rain continued to lash parts of the state with Dhaulakuan in Sirmaur district receiving 123 mm of rain followed by 74.5 mm in Nahan, 40.2 mm in Kataula, 32 mm in Palampur, 31.2 mm in Poanta Sahib, 27.6 mm in Dharamshala, 26.8 mm in Sundernagar and 25 mm in Baijnath.

The state has recorded a 40 per cent rain deficit from June 1 to July 27, with 194 mm of rainfall against the average of 321.2 mm.

Meanwhile the rain deficit in the month of July alone was 33 per cent, as the state received 147.5 mm rain against the normal of 220.1 mm from July 1 to 27.

The Silver Jubilee of Kargil Vijay Diwas was celebrated in a grand manner at the State War Memorial here today. Brigadier GS Puri, Station Commander Yol 9th Corps, participated as the chief guest and paid tribute to the martyrs, while the district administration, army officials, ex-servicemen and various organisations offered floral tributes.

Remembering the exemplary bravery of country’s soldiers, Brigadier Puri said, “Tribute is paid to the bravehearts, who attained martyrdom on Vijay Diwas. The state of Himachal has every reason to take pride for its largest contribution in the security and defence of the nation. The youth of the day should take inspiration and emulate these war heroes who sacrificed their present for our future.”

In the Kargil War that lasted for more than two months, 52 soldiers from Himachal Pradesh sacrificed their lives. It started on May 25, 1999, and the brave Indian Army men sacrificed their lives and drove the enemies out of the country’s borders making Operation Vijay a success. A total of 527 soldiers were martyred across the country.

For their exemplary contribution to the Kargil war, a total of four Param Vir Chakra medals were announced as the highest honour of the Army across the country. Of these four, two are named after the heroes of Himachal. In this great war, Captain Vikram Batra was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously and Subedar Sanjay Kumar was awarded the Param Vir Chakra alive.

Of the 52 soldiers from Himachal Pradesh, who sacrificed their lives, 15 were from Kangra district followed by 11 from Mandi district, seven each from Hamirpur and Bilaspur, four from Shimla, two each from Una, Solan and Sirmaur and one each from Chamba and Kullu districts.

State Sainik League general secretary, Col RP Guleria (retd), said he still remembered the Kargil War of 1999, when the country’s soldiers had hoisted the Tricolor on Tiger Hill. “Our forces with all their bravery defeated the invaders who had entered the motherland and conquered the last peak on July 26.”

The Manali-Leh National Highway-3 has been opened for vehicular traffic, officials said on Friday, two days after a section of the road was blocked between Dhundi and Palchan Bridge following a flash flood.

The deluge was caused by a cloudburst at the Anjani Mahadev nullah in Manali around Wednesday midnight.

The road was thrown open on Thursday evening by the Border Road Organisation (BRO), the officials added. The traffic was earlier being routed via Rohtang Pass.

The flash flood triggered by the cloudburst swept away three houses and critically damaged another one, leaving four families homeless. The affected families are putting up at a school for the time being.

The Shimla meteorological office on Friday issued a ‘yellow’ alert of heavy rainfall at isolated places in eight out of 12 districts of the state for the next four days till July 30.

It cautioned about damage to plantations and standing crops, vulnerable structures and ‘kutcha’ houses due to strong winds, and waterlogging in low-lying areas.

Intermittent rain continued to lash parts of the state, with Dharamshala recording 53.6 mm of downpour, followed by Shimla 50 mm, Brahmani 40.6 mm, Sundernagar 45 mm, Gohar 40 mm, Slapper 32.3 mm, Baggi 31.4 mm, Dhaulakuan 31 mm, Jubberhatti 21.2 mm, Kasauli 12 mm, Dalhousie 11 mm and Manali 10 mm.

Fifty-one people have died in rain-related incidents in the state since the onset of the monsoon on June 27 and losses suffered so far are worth around Rs 390 crore, according to the emergency operation centre.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday launched the official website of Paragliding World Cup, which will be held from November 2-9 at Bir Billing in Kangra district. The website will contain all information related to the championship.

The CM said it would be organised by the Billing Paragliding Association and state government. “It is a matter of pleasure that such a prestigious event is being organised in the state. It will go a long way in boosting tourism-related activities,” he said.

Sukhu said 130 pilots from nearly 50 countries were expected to compete in one of the most challenging and exhilarating environments at the picturesque location of Bir Billing.

Sukhu highlighted the government’s commitment to boosting adventure tourism in the region. “The state, with its stunning landscapes and favourable weather conditions, is a heaven for paragliding enthusiasts. The government is committed to providing necessary support to ensure that the event is well-organised,” he said.

The Himachal Paragliding Festival would also be organised to showcase cultural arts, adventure sports, wellness, literature and entertainment. Billing Paragliding Association president Anurag Sharma said the world cup would not only highlight the paragliders’ talent but also showcase adventure opportunities in the Kangra region at the international forum.

In a major decision on Thursday, the Central Government approved a range of urban flood management and glacial lake outburst flood mitigation projects for several states, including the hilly states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand which were ravaged by rains last year.

A high-level committee, under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, approved several disaster mitigation and capacity building projects for states today.

The meeting of HLC comprising Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan and Vice Chairman NITI Aayog as members was held in here today.

The committee considered a total of nine proposals for funding from National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to combat urban flooding in six cities, to mitigate Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in four hill states and to strengthen fire services in three states.

The committee also considered a proposal to implement Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme in all the 28 states.

Six projects of Rs 2514.36 crore clearer for urban flood management will cover Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune.

Three projects of Rs 810.64 crore under “Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the states” for Assam, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were passed.

GLOF risk mitigation project proposal of Rs 150 crore for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh was approved by the high-level committee which also cleared Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme (YAMS) at an outlay of Rs 470.50 crore to be implemented in 315 most disaster-prone districts of for training of 1,300 trained Aapda Mitra Volunteers as Master Trainers and 2.37 lakh volunteers.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Kangana Ranaut, the BJP Lok Sabha member from Mandi, on a petition filed by a Kinnaur resident for setting aside her election on the grounds that his nomination papers to contest from the Lok Sabha constituency were allegedly wrongly rejected.

Issuing the notice, Justice Jyotsna Rewal directed Ranaut to file a reply by August 21.

Ranaut had won from Mandi Lok Sabha seat, defeating her rival Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh by 74,755 votes. She had polled 5,37,002 votes against Singh’s 4,62,267 votes.

Pleading for setting aside the election of Ranaut, the petitioner, Layak Ram Negi, maintained that his nomination papers were wrongly rejected by the returning officer (Deputy Commissioner, Mandi) and also made him a party.
Negi, an ex-employee of the forest department, said that he got premature retirement and produced a “no dues certificate” from the department along with nomination papers to the returning officer.

However, he was given a day to produce the “no due certificate” from the electricity, water and telephone departments and when he submitted them, the returning officer did not accept them and rejected the nomination papers.

He pleaded that he could have won the election had his papers been accepted and said that the election be set aside.

Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, (IIT-Roorkee) and Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, (IIT-Mandi) for the development of ‘Cell-Free’ 6G Access Points. Both the IITs are collaborating to develop this technology.

The C-DOT is a telecom research and development centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) of the Government.

IIT’s aim to enhance connectivity, signal strength and data speeds; to contribute 6G standardisation, patents and commercialisation.

The project is in-line with ‘Bharat 6G vision’ that aims to establish India as a global leader in 6G technology, driving innovation, connectivity and digital inclusion, the Ministry of Communications said on Wednesday.

The Telecom Technology Development Fund is being used for funding this research.

The new technology being developed is different from traditional mobile networks that you use ‘cells’ installed at base stations to service mobile customers.

The new technology called ‘Cell-Free’ Massive Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output eliminates the idea of cells and cell boundaries by deploying several access points across a vast region to serve many user devices at the same time.

This eliminates ‘no signal’ zones, enhance signal strength, and significantly boosts data speeds.

This 6G project will focus on developing the upcoming 6G radio access networks.

The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by C-DOT’s CEO Rajkumar Upadhyay and Director Pankaj Kumar Dalela, and principal and IIT-Roorkee’s investigator Abhay Kumar Sah and IIT-Mandi’s co-investigator Adarsh Patel Kumar.

Farmers in Himachal Pradesh expressed disappointment on Tuesday as their key demands of 100 per cent duty on apple imports and GST exemption to farm inputs were not addressed in the Union Budget for 2024-25.

Fruit Vegetable Flower Growers Association president Harish Chauhan said that hopes of farmers of Himachal Pradesh have been dashed as their main demand of 100 per cent import duty on apples to check import of cheap apples has not been addressed in the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

“We have been demanding exemption in GST on farm inputs and equipment but nothing has been done in this regard,” he said in a video message.

Apple is cultivated on 1,15,680 hectares spread over 21 assembly segments mainly in Shimla, Mandi, Kullu and Kinnaur districts and a few pockets of Chamba, Sirmaur, Lahaul and Spiti, Kangra and Solan districts.

The apple economy in the state is estimated at Rs 5,000 crore. At present, the import duty on apples is 50 per cent. Over 3 lakh families are directly involved in apple production, as per the official data.

“However, the scheme announced for marketing and cold chain in clusters for vegetable growers is welcomed but it would be difficult for the farmers of the state to get benefit under this scheme as land holdings are small in Himachal Pradesh and making clusters is difficult,” Chauhan said.

Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Monday administered oath to the three newly elected legislators, including Kamlesh Thakur, the wife of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The oath ceremony was conducted inside the House in the presence of the Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Cabinet Ministers and other members.

The members who took oath included Congress MLAs Kamlesh Thakur from the Dehra Assembly seat, Hardeep Singh Bawa from the Nalagarh seat and BJP legislator Ashish Sharma from the Hamirpur Assembly constituency.

With the induction of the three MLAs, the House is complete with 68 members and the strength of Congress has risen to 40 while BJP has 28 members in the legislative Assembly.

There is no independent MLA in the Vidhan Sabha for the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh.

Also, this is the first time a couple, CM Sukhu and his wife Kamlesh Thakur, are members of the same House.

The by-elections for the three seats — Dehra, Nalagarh and Hamirpur — were held on July 10 following the acceptance of the resignation of three independent MLAs, Hoshiyar Singh, K L Thakur and Ashish Sharma.

The three independents along with six Congress rebels had voted in favour of the BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27.

On March 22, the three independent MLAs submitted their resignation and joined the BJP the next day.

However, their resignation was accepted by the speaker on June 3. The three Independents were given tickets by the BJP from their respective seats but Ashish Sharma was the only MLA to retain his seats while the other two lost the by-polls to Congress rivals.

Talking to the media persons here, CM Sukhu accused the BJP of hatching a conspiracy to destabilise the government by horse-trading.

In his response, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur accused the Congress government of winning the by-polls by misusing the official machinery.

Sukhu hoped that the BJP would now shun the negative politics and cooperate with the government in pursuing the development agenda.

Himachal Pradesh has received 43 per cent deficit rain so far as the southwest monsoon which arrived in the state on June 27 remains weak and erratic.

The state received 151.6 mm of rain against the normal rainfall of 266.4 mm between June 1 and July 21, according to the Met department.

Despite spells of heavy rain at isolated places, all 12 districts of the state logged a rain deficit, with Shimla recording 24 per cent and tribal Lahaul and Spiti district 74 per cent less rain.

Sirmaur district logged 58 per cent deficit rain, followed by Chamba 52 per cent, Kinnaur 51 per cent, Una 50 per cent, Hamirpur 47 per cent, Solan 43 per cent, Kullu 38 per cent, and Kangra 28 per cent.

The deficit in July till Sunday was 36 per cent with the state receiving 105.1 mm of rain against 165.3 mm.

The local Met office on Sunday issued an ‘orange’ alert, warning of heavy to very heavy rain, thunderstorm, and lightning, at isolated places in the state on Monday and Tuesday.

Monsoon activity is likely to increase over the next two-three days with fairly widespread precipitation of moderate intensity, it said.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur in isolated places in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Chamba, Kullu, Solan, and Sirmaur during the period, the Met said.

It also cautioned the residents of damage to plantation, horticulture, and standing crops, partial damage to vulnerable structures, minor damage to ‘kutcha’ houses and huts due to strong winds, and disruption in traffic and waterlogging in the low-lying areas.

Forty people have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh since the onset of monsoon on June 27. The state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 329 crore due to rain, according to the state emergency operation centre.

As many as 40 persons died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh since the onset of monsoon on June 27 till July 20 and the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 329 crore, according to the state emergency operation centre.

One person was washed away as a cloudburst incident took place in Raitua village in Anj Bhoj area under Paonta subdivision in Sirmaur district late Friday night.

Confirming the incident, Paonta Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Gunjeet Cheema said that immediately after getting the information of a cloudburst in Raitua village, a team of Puruwala police station with the help of local residents launched a search operation in the five km long area where the Raitua Nullah flows to join the Tons River.

After a night long rescue and search operation, the dead body of a 48-year-old person identified as Aman Singh, a resident of Danda Anj village, was recovered from the Tons river on Saturday morning.

The SDM said that as per the information, Singh along with his daughter rushed towards his cowshed situated near Raitua Nullaha after he heard a sound of gushing water in the Nullah.

The Nullah was flooding following a cloudburst up side the stream. The increasing flash flood washed away Singh but he succeeded in saving the life of his daughter by pushing her away from the flooded area.

After the daughter raised an alarm, the residents of Raitua village rushed to the spot and started a search for Singh. They also informed the Puruwala police and local administration about the incident.

After a night long search, Singh’s dead body was found this morning in the Tons river, the SDM added.

The local MeT office on Saturday warned of moderate flash floods risk in few areas in Sirmaur and Shimla districts in the next 24 hours and issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rains, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated areas in the state on July 23.

It also issued yellow warning of heavy rains at isolated areas in the state on July 21, 22, 24 and 25 and cautioned of damage to plantation, horticulture and standing crops, partial damage to vulnerable structures, minor damage to kutcha houses and huts due to strong winds and rain, disruption in traffic and waterlogging in the low-lying areas.

Meanwhile, intermittent rains lashed a few parts of the state in the past 24 hours and Nahan in Sirmaur district with 60.4 mm was wettest in the state followed by Bilaspur while Kasauli, Dalhousie and Slapper received rain ranging between 1 to 3 mm.

Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, former Union minister and five-term MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur, recently dropped from the union cabinet, made a comeback on Friday in a top Lok Sabha committee tasked with finalising the house agenda and deciding on time to be allocated for each item on the table.

Thakur found a place in the 15-member Lok Sabha Business Advisory Committee which Speaker Om Birla constituted on Friday.

The Speaker nominated Thakur alongside five other BJP heavyweights — party’s national vice president and Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda, seven-term MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, former Bihar BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal, four-term MP from Jharkhand’s Godda Nishikant Dubey and party’s senior member PP Chaudhary.

The BAC committee that includes the Speaker as ex-officio chairman also has MPs from two BJP allies in the NDA — TDP’s Lavu Devarayalu and JD (U)’s Dileshwar Kamat.
Opposition members on the panel are — Congress’s deputy leader in LS Gaurag Gogoi and chief whip K Suresh, TMC’s Sudip Bandopadhyay, DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran, Samajwadi Party’s Lalji Verma and Shiv Sena UBT’s Arvind Sawant.

The first meeting of the BAC is expected on Monday ahead of the Union Budget presentation on July 23.

Lok Sabha sources said BAC of the 18th Lok Sabha would have a crucial role given the larger presence of the opposition as compared to the 16th and 17th Lok Sabhas when the opposition had fallen short of numbers to even claim the official leader of opposition post which has now gone to Congress’s Rahul Gandhi.
Opposition INDIA bloc has 233 MPs in the Lok Sabha this time as against ruling NDA’s 293.

“The opposition’s say in deciding the house agenda and time to be allocated for discussions on government and other business will be greater this time. Also unlike in the previous Lok Sabha when the BJP had a majority, the 18th Lok Sabha will see more time allocation for opposition MPs as their numbers have grown,” sources said.

The committee, on its own initiative, can also recommend to the government to bring forward particular subjects for discussion in the House and recommend allocation of time for such discussions.

The opposition is determined to demand discussions on paper leak, Agniveer and other people-related issues when the BAC meets for the first time next week.

6 new bills listed

Besides the Finance Bill, the government has listed six new bills for introduction in the upcoming Monsoon Session from July 22 to August 12. These are Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, which will replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act to enhance ease of doing business in aviation; Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill to bring greater clarity to the roles of different organisations working in the segment; Boilers Bill to replace a pre-Independence-era law; Coffee (Promotion and Development) Bill and the Rubber (Promotion and Development) Bill.

Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar, along with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, here on Friday chaired a review meeting on the power sector and urban missions.

Khattar, who holds the portfolios of Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, told reporters that after the portfolio allocation, he reviewed projects of his departments to understand issues of various states and discuss what new projects could be brought in future.

“Chaired an important review meeting of the Power sector & Urban Missions/Schemes along with Hon’ble Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh Shri @SukhuSukhvinder at Himachal Bhawan.

“Govt. of India is committed to transform the Power & Urban infrastructure and ensure a bright & sustainable future for the people of Himachal Pradesh,” Khattar posted on X.

Speaking to the media, Sukhu said such meetings helped in discussions and paved the way for resolving issues.

Meanwhile, Khattar said discussions were also held on the ongoing projects, including power, smart city, and urban development projects.

Khattar, who is MP from Karnal, while referring to urban development projects, said various schemes, including Prime Minister SVANidhi scheme, were also discussed and feedback was taken about the utilisation of grants issued/allocated by the Centre.

The two-hour-long meeting was also attended by Himachal Pradesh’s Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh.

The Himachal Pradesh Police have arrested one of the masterminds of a Rs 2,500-crore cryptocurrency scam, which was unearthed in the state in 2022, from Kolkata, officials said on Thursday.

Milan Garg (35), a resident of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended on Wednesday night from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, while he was trying to flee to Bangkok in Thailand, they said.

Garg, who was allegedly involved in designing and marketing of a fake cryptocurrency, was later brought to Shimla, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Northern Range, Abhishek Dhullar, told PTI.

Garg, who earlier fled to Dubai after the scam came to light, had returned to India in June and was again leaving the country when he was detained at the Kolkata airport. The accused has been arrested and brought to Shimla, said Dhullar, who is heading an SIT probing the case.

The accused, the main associate of kingpin Subhash Sharma who is still at large, was involved in designing of the cryptocurrency, software development and marketing, Dhullar said, adding that he would also convince prospective investors.

The cryptocurrency scam, which has duped thousands of people, started in 2018 but came to light in 2022 as the perpetrators of the fraud had threatened the investors to keep their mouth shut or lose money.

The investors smelled something fishy when they did not get money in return, but the victims did not come out openly against the fraudsters. However, later hundreds of victims came forward and uncovered the modus operandi of scammers and so far over 300 complaints have been received.

Police have arrested 26 people in connection with the case and charge sheets have been filed against 70 people so far. Some of the main accused arrested included Hemraj, Sukhdev, both from Mandi, and Arun Guleria and Abhishekh from Una district of Himachal.

The scammers lured people by promising handsome returns in a short span of time and built a network of investors. People from different sections of society, including policemen and teachers, got involved in the scheme for quick returns.

The fraudsters approached people with an investment plan related to a locally made (in Mandi district) cryptocurrency known as ‘Korvio Coin’ or KRO coins. Three to four kinds of cryptocurrency were used and false websites in which the cryptocurrency prices were manipulated and inflated were created, police said.

Intermittent rains continued to lash parts of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday and the local Met office here issued a ‘yellow alert’, predicting heavy rains in isolated areas of the state for the next four days.

The meteorological department in Shimla has forecast a wet spell in Himachal Pradesh till July 23.
It also cautioned of damage to plantation, horticulture and standing crops, partial damage to vulnerable structures, minor damage to kutcha houses and huts due to strong winds and rain, disruption in traffic and waterlogging in the low-lying areas.

Olinda received 94.6 mm of rain since Tuesday evening followed by Naina Devi (44.8), Baijnath (32 mm) Dharamsala (14.4 mm), Nahan (10 mm), Mandi (8.6 mm) and Kandaghat (5.6 mm).

Since the onset of monsoon on June 27 till July 16, the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 186 crores and 31 persons have died in rain related incidents, according to the state emergency operation centre.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to support Himachal Pradesh in its initiative to become a green state. Sukhu called on the Prime Minister in New Delhi.

PM requested for RIDF loan for electric buses

Sukhu discussed the issue of free power royalty in projects under the SJVN and the NHPC with the Prime Minister and urged him for a favourable decision
He requested the Prime Minister to approve Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) loan under NABARD for the purchase of eco-friendly electric buses
The Chief Minister also discussed the potential of generating 1,000 MW of hybrid solar and wind energy in Spiti, which can be transmitted through a green corridor by utilising the solar, wind and hydropower potential of the Sutlej basin
He requested the Prime Minister that the Centre should bear 50 per cent of the land acquisition cost of the expansion of the Kangra airport project

Sukhu urged the Prime Minister to help the state get the rights and assets of the Shanan power project to Himachal, the lease period of which had expired.

He briefed Modi on various development initiatives taken in the state and requested him for substantial financial assistance to help the state to recover from massive losses suffered during the monsoon last year. The Prime Minister gave him a patient hearing and assured him of all possible assistance.

He highlighted the state’s goal of sustaining entirely on green energy in the near future and taking several green initiatives like switching over to electric buses. Besides, the Chief Minister sought support for a mega solar project in Spiti. He raised several power-related issues pending with the Central Government and sought Rs 4,300 crore arrears due to the state from the BBMB.

Sukhu informed the Prime Minister about the state’s efforts to boost tourism, with Kangra being developed as the tourism capital. He emphasised the importance of expansion of the Kangra airport and requested the Prime Minister that the Central Government should bear 50 per cent of the land acquisition cost and provide a special grant for the project.

He gave a suggestion for establishing a tourism SEZ to create jobs and spur economic development with Himachal being an ideal starting point. Sukhu also called on Union Minister for Power Manohar Lal Khattar and sought his intervention in restoring the rights of the Shanan power project to the state as its lease period had expired. He also requested Khattar to release the pending share due from the BBMB and support for a mega solar park in Spiti. Khattar assured him of looking into the issues.

In a major relief to the Himachal Pradesh Government, the Ministry of Defence has agreed to transfer free of cost to the state the proprietary rights over all assets meant for providing civic amenities to the civilian population in cantonments.

As all civil areas, after their excision from cantonments, will be handed over to the state and merged with local municipalities in accordance with the latest guidelines, the residents have heaved a sigh of relief. Once the exercise is completed, the civilian population will be able to enjoy the benefits of various state government schemes and also undertake need-based repair and modifications in their buildings without following a rigorous procedure. The state government, for its part, will be able to impose taxes in such areas, which will be governed by local municipal laws.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was supposed to lease out its properties to the state government while retaining the ownership rights. Civil areas are currently being excised out of Himachal’s six cantonment towns of Kasauli, Dagshai, Subathu, Baklog, Jutogh and Dalhousie, an exercise that is being conducted nationally. The process was completed at Khas Yol in Kangra district last year.

The MoD has issued related directions to the Cantonment Executive Officers (CEOs) to liaise with the state government and apprise it of the status of such areas. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Director General Defence Estate held on June 26.

Confirming the development, Kasauli Sub-Divisional Magistrate Narayan Chauhan said, “Once the CEO sends the revised report based on the new directions to the state government, we will conduct a field assessment and prepare the final report.”

The municipal jurisdiction over the leased and old grant properties (OGPs) in the “excised” area shall also be transferred to state municipalities. “Though this is a welcome move, a majority of the OGPs are located outside civil areas on the defence land in towns like Kasauli. The owners of such properties are keen to be part of the “excising”. This will, however, require change in modalities as in the present scenario, only civilian areas are being excised from cantonments,” observed Devinder Gupta, former vice-president of the Kasauli cantonment board.

Of the total 688 acres in Kasauli Cantonment, the notified civil area (NCA) comprises 43.5 acres. It includes Sadar Bazaar, Market Bazaar, Mashobra, Slaughter House, Ettawa and Nahari. Out of these pockets, certain vacant land of Sadar Bazaar and Slaughter House area were earlier proposed to be retained by the defence authorities. These areas would also be excised from the cantonment, as per the MoD’s fresh guidelines.

The state government will be able to collect over Rs 50 lakh as house tax. This will be its sole commercial gain after merging certain NCAs into nearby panchayats.

What will change

State to earn extra revenue from newly merged areas
Owners of buildings can easily carry out need-based modifications in their properties

Forty-four persons were stranded for four hours overnight near Kunzum Pass in Himachal’s Lahaul and Spiti district, police said on Monday.

The rescue operation was carried out by the district police from 2.30 am to 6 am, they said.

The passengers were on their way to Kaza from Koksar when the bus got stuck in the mud about 500 m behind Kunzum Pass, towards Batal, police said.

The police received information on Monday that a bus carrying 44 persons and a pickup truck were stuck near Kunzum Pass. A team was immediately rushed to the spot and began the rescue operation, they said.

The passengers of the bus included 23 men, 19 women, a driver and a guide, they said.

SP Lahaul and Spiti Mayank Chaudhary said that after the incident, keeping in mind the security, the district police decided that no tourist vehicle will be allowed from Koksar to Kaza and from Losar to Koksar after 4 pm.

Only local vehicles, emergency vehicles and tourists with bookings will be allowed to travel towards Losar, and from Losar to Koksar after 4 pm, Chaudhary said.

Meanwhile, parts of Himachal Pradesh continued to receive intermittent rain as the Met office issued a ‘yellow alert’ on Monday, predicting heavy rains in isolated areas of the state later in the week.

The meteorological department in Shimla has forecasted a wet spell in Himachal Pradesh till July 21.

Intermittent rains have lashed some parts of the state since Sunday evening, with the highest rain recorded in Sundernagar at 36.8 mm, followed by Mandi at 16.6 mm, Pandoh at 12 mm, Poanta Sahib at 8.2 mm, Karsog at 8.1 mm, Gohar at 7 mm, Baggi at 5.7 mm, Slapper at 4.5 mm, Solan at 4.4 mm and Kufri at 4 mm.

Since the onset of the monsoon on June 27, so far, the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 183 crores, and 29 persons have died in rain-related incidents, according to the state emergency operation centre.

Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti was coldest at night, recording a low of 10.9 degrees Celsius, while Una was hottest during the day, recording a maximum temperature of 37.4 degrees Celsius.