As per the directions of the state government, the National flag that has been hoisted at the historic Ridge in the heart of the state’s capital will soon be shifted to another suitable location.

The decision has been taken in view of recent widening and restructuring work of the Ridge, which has been completed. Additionally, the rain shelter at The Ridge will also be shifted.

MLA Shimla (Urban) Harish Janartha said that, on 26th January, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had directed to relocate the national flag to another prominent location and efforts are on to find out a suitable location by the Municipal Corporation as well as the Public Works Department.

“While the PWD will serve as the Nodal department, the Municipal Corporation, Shimla will serve as the monitoring body” he added. The MLA said this after he along with several other dignitaries visited the Ridge for inspection.

Built at the cost of around Rs 14 lakhs, the 100-feet long tricolour was installed at The Ridge in 2015 by then CM Virbhadra Singh.

Governor Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla today expressed concern over the growing drug menace in the state, while emphasising his commitment to ensuring that every household remains free from substance abuse.

He said a drug-free home leads to a safer and healthier state.

While addressing an anti-drug awareness event at Chail today, the Governor highlighted the alarming spread of drug addiction, particularly among the youth and stressed the need for collective efforts to curb it.

He praised the efforts of Solan and Shimla police in tackling the issue and acknowledged their dedication.

He underscored the importance of reducing drug demand and ensuring proper rehabilitation of the addicts.

The Governor also raised concerns regarding the operations of certain private de-addiction centres.

Inspired by the Prime Minister, he launched the anti-drug campaign in Himachal Pradesh and noted positive changes within a year of his tenure.

He urged women to take an active role in this campaign, given their crucial influence in family and society.

Highlighting the severe consequences of drug abuse, including road accidents, he instructed university administrations to mandate an anti-drug pledge from students during admissions, with the provision of expulsion for violators.

Former Convener of the Drug Prevention Board, OP Sharma, stressed the importance of parental involvement and society in addressing drug abuse, advocating for increased social awareness.

Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College’s Principal, Prof Ravi Sharma, highlighted the fatal impact of synthetic drugs and the role of society in early detection and intervention.

Parwanoo Deputy Superintendent of Police Mehar Panwar, acknowledged the rising challenge of synthetic drugs and reported that Solan police had registered 139 cases, arresting 321 individuals and seizing large quantities of narcotics since July 2023.

Chail Gram Panchayat Pradhan Usha Sharma assured full support for the de-addiction initiative, while Chail Hotel Association President Devinder Verma welcomed the Governor and pledged the association’s commitment to the campaign.

Earlier, the Governor flagged off the Jeep Club’s annual Winter Spiti Expedition 2025, themed ‘Anti-Drug Rally’.

He lauded the initiative for not only promoting the beauty of Himachal Pradesh but also supporting tourism and social reform. He congratulated the Jeep Club and Chail Hotel Association for their efforts in driving social awareness through this rally.

The Himachal Pradesh Police have announced that the Physical Standard Test (PST) and Physical Efficiency Test (PET) for the recruitment of 1,088 police constables, including 708 men and 380 women candidates, will commence on February 6.

The tests will be conducted across various districts in the state, ensuring accessibility for all candidates.

According to the schedule, the tests will kick off in Mandi at the Police Ground, 3rd IRBn, Pandoh, and continue until February 16. In Una, the tests will take place at the Police Lines Ground, Jhalera, from February 11 to 15.

Kangra district will host the tests at the Police Lines Ground, Dharamsala, from February 20 to March 6, while Bilaspur will conduct the tests at Luhnu Ground from February 20 to 24.

Further, Hamirpur will hold the tests at the Synthetic Track, Sports Authority of India, Anu, from February 28 to March 5 and Chamba will host them at the Police Lines Ground from March 13 to 20.

The Kullu district tests will be held at Police Line Bashing from March 7 to 11, with the Lahaul and Spiti candidates scheduled for March 12.

In Sirmaur, the tests will take place at the Chamba Ground near Police Lines, Nahan, from February 11 to 20.

Additionally, Solan will conduct the tests at the Police Lines Ground from February 20 to March 6, Shimla at the Police Lines Ground, Bharari, from March 11 to 22 and Kinnaur at the Mini Stadium, Kalpa, from March 27 to 28.

IGP Armed Police and Training (AP&T)-cum-Liaison Officer Prem Kumar Thakur stated that e-call letters have been uploaded for provisionally admitted candidates on their user IDs by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission.

The letters include detailed instructions regarding the PST and PET. Candidates have also been informed via SMS and email on their registered contact details.

At least 31 devotees from Solan, including six seriously injured, were hurt when their private bus overturned after being hit by a hydra machine in the Sirathu area of Kaushambi district in Uttar Pradesh.

The accident occurred on Tuesday morning while the devotees were en route to participate in the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj.

Deputy Commissioner Solan Manmohan Sharma confirmed that 31 persons were injured, including 75-year-old Tulsi Ram Sharma, who is undergoing treatment in ICU.

Fourteen injured persons are being treated at Community Health Centre Sirathu, while 10 others are receiving treatment at District Hospital Kaushambi.

The district administration of Solan is working closely with the Kaushambi administration to ensure proper treatment and care for the injured.

Monetary assistance is also being provided, and the devotees plan to return after the injured recover.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu instructed the Solan administration to coordinate with the Kaushambi administration to provide timely medical assistance to the injured.

Arki MLA Sanjay Awasthi expressed grief over the accident and assured that he is working closely with the Kaushambi administration to provide proper assistance to the injured.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state government would soon introduce a new policy for national-level players.

He made this statement while addressing the contingent of state players heading to the 38th National Games being held in Uttarakhand here yesterday. The 200-member contingent of the state will participate in the games scheduled from January 28 to February 14, 2025.

Extending best wishes to the players, the Chief Minister stated that the state government has taken several initiatives to promote sports and players and develop basic sports infrastructure at the district level.

The prize money for a podium finish in international sports events have been significantly increased.

The Chief Minister emphasised his commitment to the welfare of players, highlighting that he himself was a sportsperson and could not overlook the needs of athletes.

He said that earlier Under-17 and Under-19 players were receiving Rs 150 as diet money for state-level competitions and Rs 250 for national competitions. This amount has been increased by the present state government to Rs 400 and Rs 500, respectively.

Sukhu said the prize money for gold medallists in the Olympics, Winter Olympics and Paralympics has been raised from Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore. Similarly, for silver medallists from Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore and for bronze medallists from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore.

Similarly, for the Asian Games and Asian Para Games, the prize money for gold medallists has been increased from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 4 crore, for silver medallists from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 2.5 crore and for bronze medallists from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore.

The prize money for gold medallists of the Commonwealth Games has been increased from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 3 crore, for silver medallists from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 2 crore and for bronze medallists from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

“For under-14 players, the diet money for state-level competitions has been raised from Rs 120 to Rs 250 and for national-level competitions from Rs 250 to Rs 400. The diet money for players residing in sports hostels has also been increased from Rs 150 to Rs 400,” he said.

Furthermore, the players participating in competitions outside the state are now entitled to AC three-tier train fare for distances up to 200 km and economy-class airfare for distances beyond 200 km.

Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, MLAs Harish Janartha and Bawa Hardeep Singh, Chief Minister’s Principal Advisor (Media) Naresh Chauhan and representatives of various sports organisations were present on the occasion.

Three persons, identified as Bal Mohan (40) from Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, and Amrit Das (40) and Gaurav Ahuja (42) from Gurugram, have been arrested for allegedly duping a doctor of Rs 2.7 crore.

The accused promised the victim, Dr Ajay Goyal, exorbitant returns on trading through a leading financial market advisory service.

According to the complaint filed by Dr Goyal, the scammer contacted him in November 2024, shared a website link, and added him to a WhatsApp group offering investment advice.

The victim transferred Rs 2,70,19,316.50, which was then transferred to various anonymous accounts by the scammers.

Upon suspecting cheating, Dr Goyal approached the police, leading to the registration of a case on December 17, 2024, at the Cyber Crime police station in Southern Range, Shimla.

A CBI court here on Monday sentenced Himachal Pradesh Inspector General of Police Zahur Haider Zaidi and seven other police personnel to life imprisonment in custodial death of an accused in the rape-murder of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Shimla’s Kotkhai in 2017.

The other convicted police officials include then DSP Manoj Joshi, Sub-Inspector Rajinder Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector Deep Chand Sharma, Head Constables Mohan Lal, Surat Singh and Rafee Mohammad and Constable Raneet Sateta.

During the arguments on the quantum of sentence, the counsels of the convicts prayed before the court for leniency on the basis of their age, family commitments and good service records.

CBI Public Prosecutor Amit Jindal argued for exemplary punishment due to the seriousness of the crime.

After hearing arguments, CBI Special Judge Alka Malik sentenced the eight police personnel to life imprisonment.

The court also recommended for awarding the compensation to family members of the victim Suraj Singh under victim compensation scheme.

On January 18, the accused were convicted under Sections 302, 330, 348, 218, 195, 196, 201 and 120B of the IPC for the death of a suspect, Suraj Singh. The court, however, acquitted former Shimla SP DW Negi.

The minor girl had gone missing in a Kotkhai village on July 4, 2017, while on way home from school. Her naked body was recovered two days later from a forest area and the post-mortem confirmed rape.

After massive public outrage, the Himachal government constituted a special investigation team (SIT) under IGP Zaidi on July 10. Negi was entrusted with the responsibility of “timely and sustained investigation” as the case fell within his jurisdiction.

The SIT, the CBI claimed, arrested six persons on July 13 “without any evidence” and Suraj was “tortured to extract confessional statement, which led to his death” on the night of July 18 at the Kotkhai police station.

After Suraj’s death, the Himachal Pradesh High Court handed over the investigation into both rape-murder and custodial death cases to the CBI. The central agency registered a case on July 22 and arrested Zaidi and other police personnel for the custodial death.

The CBI, which subsequently arrested one Nilu, said he was the lone accused in the rape-murder while those arrested by the Himachal police were innocent. In 2019, the Supreme Court transferred the custodial death case from Shimla to the CBI’s Chandigarh court to ensure speedy trial.

In its chargesheet, the CBI said the eight accused destroyed evidence relating to Suraj’s death. They were also accused of submitting fabricated reports to the DGP to prove Suraj was killed by another accused in police lockup following a scuffle.

The post-mortem showed over 20 injuries on Suraj’s body which, the CBI claimed, couldn’t have been sustained in a scuffle. Another report by a board of AIIMS doctors too confirmed torture.

Zaidi was reinstated in November 2019 after he was released on bail on April 5, 2019, by the Supreme Court.

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla unfurled the national flag at the Ridge, Shimla, on the 76th Republic Day during state-level celebrations, and took salute from an impressive march past led by Parade Commander Lt Gagandeep Chauhan from 22, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was also present on the occasion.

The contingents of the Army, Indo-Tibet Border Police, Himachal Pradesh Armed Police, Punjab Police, State Police, Home Guards, Fire Services, Himachal Pradesh Postal Services, Disaster Management, ex-servicemen, National Cadet Corps, National Service Scheme Cadets and Bharat Scouts and Guides, performed the march past. Tableau showcasing various development activities of different departments were the main attraction on the occasion.

The culture troupes from Kinnaur, Hamirpur, Shimla and Mandi gave cultural performances. The troupes of North Zone Cultural Centre Patiala – Rajasthan and Uttarakhand also performed on the occasion.

Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

Decks have been cleared for the controlled legal cultivation of cannabis for non-narcotic use in Himachal with the Cabinet yesterday giving nod to the proposal of the Revenue Department.

The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at Dharamsala, has given approval to the plans of the Revenue Department to undertake controlled cannabis cultivation in the state.

At present, some of the states like Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh are undertaking cannabis cultivation, primary for use in the pharma sector for preparing medicines.

Sources said the Cabinet has made the Agriculture Department the nodal agency which will work out the modalities for starting cannabis cultivation.

The Cabinet approved a pilot study on cannabis cultivation to be jointly undertaken by Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Kangra district and Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture, Nauni, Solan district.

The Agriculture Department has been given six months time to prepare all the modalities and standard operating procedures (SOP), including the selection of cannabis species which is more suited for use in pharmaceutical sector.

It was on September 22, 2023 that the committee headed by Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi had submitted its report to the state government.

The committee had prepared the report after visiting Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand to obtain first hand experience from experts who were engaged in its cultivation for non-narcotic use.

The committee had recommended cannabis cultivation for industrial and medicinal use under Section 10 and 14 of the NDPA Act.

The state government is hoping to generate an additional revenue of about Rs 500 crore annually.

Cannabis grows naturally in many parts of the states like Kullu-Manali, Mandi, Chamba, Shimla and Sirmaur due to suitable agro-climatic conditions.

However, before the state allows cannabis cultivation there are few other changes that will have to be made, including amendments in the NDPS Act, 1985.

The Agriculture Department will have to create seed banks to provide to the farmers who will be issued licences with seeds having less narcotic content.

Another very important task that the government will have to be very stringent about is having specialised excise staff for regulation and monitoring.

Another major challenge will be to procure hemp seeds with less than 0.3 per cent THC content so that it cannot be used for narcotic use.

Also specialised labs will have to be set up to produce quality seeds, suited for use in medicinal and industrial sector.

Agriculture Dept the nodal agency

The Agriculture Department, the nodal agency, will work out the modalities for starting cannabis cultivation

The department has been given six months to prepare all modalities and standard operating procedures (SOP), including the selection of cannabis species, which are more suited for use in pharmaceutical sector

On September 22, 2023, the committee headed by Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi had submitted its report to the state government. The committee had prepared the report after visiting MP and Uttarakhand

On the occasion of Balika Diwas, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu visited the Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Dharamsala yesterday.

He addressed the girl students and announced a grant of Rs 1000 each for all 351 girls enrolled at the institute.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister congratulated the students and expressed his determination to improve the education system in the state. He shared his personal experience of studying in a government school and acknowledged the lack of confidence among students of these schools.

He assured that the state government was taking decisive steps to instil confidence among these children. It would help them in becoming responsible and capable citizens.

He emphasised that no student would be deprived of education and that the government was focused on enhancing the quality of education.

During his visit, the CM interacted with the students in order to understand their needs and concerns in better way. He also visited the Government Senior Secondary School (Boys) in Dharamsala and reviewed the facilities being provided to the students.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur said that the present state government was committed to provide best quality education to all the children of the state, which remains a top priority for the Chief Minister also.

The state government has filled hundreds of vacant teaching posts and promoted Deputy Directors, which was a long-pending issue since 2020.

The students and teachers were also been sent on exposure visits and to encourage and motivate children 50 meritorious students would also be sent to abroad soon, he said.

In a meeting, held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in Dharamsala today, the Cabinet decided to extend the special relief package introduced for disaster-affected families in 2023.

The package has been extended for those impacted by the fire incident in Tandi village of Kullu district.

Under this package, affected families of Tandi village will receive Rs 7 lakh for completely damaged houses, Rs 1 lakh for partially damaged houses and Rs 50,000 for the loss of cowsheds.

A monthly house rental assistance of Rs 5,000 will be provided to the affected families until June 30, 2025.

The Cabinet also approved the procurement of state-of-the-art machinery and equipment for robotic surgery at AIMSS Chamiyana and Shimla, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, Kangra, at a cost of Rs 56 crore, on analogy of AIIMS, New Delhi.

The Cabinet approved an amendment to the previous order of the Forest Department, allowing the export of berberis roots (Kashmal out of state with a cut-off date of 15th February, 2025).

Forest produce extracted from open spaces prior to January 4, 2025, will be permitted for transportation until 15th February, 2025, in accordance with the provisions of the HP Forest Produce Transit (Land Routes) Rules, 2013.

It approved the establishment of a ropeway between Kullu Bus Stand and Peej Paragliding Point to provide tourists with a smooth and safe transportation facility, thereby boosting tourism in the region.

It also decided to fill nine posts of Block Development Officers in the Department of Rural Development.

The Cabinet decided to reorganise the PWD National Highway Circle, Shahpur, by creating two new divisions — Nankhadi and Kholighat, as well as the Kharahan Section.

The Cabinet sanctioned the procurement of 24 air-conditioned super luxury buses for HRTC to enhance services for passengers.

It also approved 100 motorbikes to field offices of the State Taxes and Excise Department to ensure better enforcement and surprise checks.

The Cabinet approved a pilot study on cannabis cultivation to be jointly undertaken by Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Kangra and Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture, Nauni, Solan. The study will evaluate and recommend the future roadmap in this matter.

The Agriculture Department was designated as the nodal department for this initiative.

It approved bringing the posts of Drivers, all Class-III and Class-IV posts in DC offices, as well as the staff posted in the offices of the three Divisional Commissioners, Director Land Records, Revenue Training Institute Jogindernagar (Mandi), Directorate of Consolidation of Holdings (Shimla), Settlement Office, Kangra, and Settlement Office, Shimla, under the ambit of the State Cadre. This decision aims to ensure uniformity and improve governance.

It also approved to rename Government College Seema in Shimla district as Raja Virbhadra Singh Government College ,Seema; GGSSS, Sports Hostel (Girls) Jubbal as Ram Lal Thakur GGSSS, Sports Hostel (Girls), Jubbal; and Government College, Khad, in Una district as Mohan Lal Dutt Government College, Khad.

A detailed presentation was also given on the revival of stalled hydro projects and restructuring of directorates in the education department.

A shocking incident unfolded in Manali on Wednesday evening, when a youth was brutally murdered during the ongoing Winter Carnival event at the Manurangshala Pavilion.

The victim, identified as Daksh, a resident of Vashishth village near Manali, was fatally attacked while the cultural programmes were taking place in the pavilion.

According to eyewitness accounts, a scuffle broke out between four youths in the pavilion during the event. The altercation escalated quickly, with one of the accused attacking Daksh with a sharp-edged weapon.

The victim was struck in a violent manner, leaving him in a pool of blood. In the chaos that followed, the assailants fled the scene, leaving Daksh critically injured.

The victim was rushed to the Civil Hospital in Manali by onlookers, where medical professionals attempted to stabilise his condition. However, despite their best efforts, Daksh succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.

This tragic loss has left the local community in shock, with many expressing disbelief over the violence that marred what is typically a joyous occasion for both residents and tourists.

The police have launched an intensive manhunt to track down the culprits responsible for this brutal crime. Investigations are ongoing, and authorities have assured the public that they are doing everything possible to bring justice to the victim.

While presiding over the meeting of the officers of Kangra district in Dharamsala yesterday, he said that the year 2025 would be “Year of Performance” for the state government and all officers and officials must extend their cooperation for development of the state.

He directed officials to end the practice of delaying matters, calling it “delayed corruption.”

The state government was providing budgets for all the schemes, ensuring that there was no shortage of resources for development.

The government’s goal is to make Himachal Pradesh self-reliant and to ensure that welfare schemes reach the eligible beneficiaries.

The CM said that the government was focusing on the health and education sectors and Rs 1,500 crore would be spent in the coming months to procure modern equipment for health institutions.

The state government was making efforts to boost tourism in Kangra district. An international-level zoological park was being established in Bankhandi, Dehra Assembly constituency. The construction has begun and the first phase was expected to be completed by April 2026.

Tenders for the construction of heliports in Rakkar and Palampur will be opened this month. The construction of the Pathankot-Mandi and Matour-Shimla four-lane highways is underway, with instructions to keep a 5-meter median on these roads, he said.

He said the government was working to strengthen the rural economy by encouraging natural farming. In Kangra district 8,894 farmers were engaged in natural farming and their mapping was necessary.

The government has procured 48.32 metric tonnes of maize produced through natural farming from 294 farmers and has made payments to them. Natural farming products were being promoted under the “Him-Bhog” brand, he said.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to ensure better marketing of products made by self-help groups.

He asked them to allocate some shops in shopping complexes in the urban areas of the district to women self-help groups to enhance their income.

The selection criteria for BPL families was being changed, increasing the income limit to Rs 1.50 lakh annually. A new survey will begin in April this year.

He said that during last year’s disaster, the state government provided a special relief package of Rs. 4,500 crores to affected families. Two installments have been released to rehabilitate 383 fully destroyed homes in Kangra district and the third installment will be released soon.

Sukhu also directed officers to explore the possibilities of establishing solar energy projects in Kangra district and accelerate the creation of green panchayats.

BPL selection criteria being changed

The selection criteria for BPL families was being changed, increasing the income limit to Rs 1.50 lakh annually. A new survey will begin in April this year.

He said that during last year’s disaster, the state government provided a special relief package of Rs. 4,500 crores to affected families. Two installments have been released to rehabilitate 383 fully destroyed homes in Kangra district and the third installment will be released soon.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today laid foundation and inaugurated development projects worth Rs 88 crore in Kangra.

While addressing a public gathering at Matour in the Kangra Assembly constituency, he said that the previous BJP government was responsible for poor financial condition of state.

The government doled out subsidies to the rich which severely impacted financial condition of the state.

The Chief Minister also announced setting up of a division of the Jal Shakti Department in Kangra and assured the introduction of new courses in Matour College.

He also announced strengthening of water and electricity schemes in the area and said that the construction work for the Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School in Kangra would begin soon. He also announced to construct a new bridge over Jalodi Khad.

He said the Kangra district would witness a significant development over the next five years and the present state government would ensure progress and prosperity at grassroots level.

The people of the area would get improved water supply, healthcare and other essential facilities nearer to their homes.

The Chief Minister said the government was committed to revitalise the rural economy as over 80 per cent of the population of the state resides in rural areas and highlighted several measures to strengthen the rural sector.

The government has raised the purchase price of milk by Rs 15 and for the first time launched a scheme to purchase cow-dung in state.

Apart from this, the state has procured 4,000 metric tonnes of maize produced through natural farming at Rs 30 per kilogram. From the next season, wheat produced through natural farming will also be procured at Rs 40 per kilogram.

He said the daily wage for MNREGA workers had been increased by Rs 60, raising it from Rs 240 to Rs 300. These efforts aim to empower rural community.

A milk processing plant with a capacity of 1.5 lakh litres was being established at Dhagwar in Kangra which would benefit approximately three lakh farmers.

He criticised the previous BJP government education policy, which led to the decline of enrolment in schools. The present government was working to improve the education system to meet future challenges.

The government has also made reforms in the Annual Confidential Report (ACR) norms to evaluate performance of all officers and officials of the state government.

Necessary reforms were being made in the health sector. A sum of Rs 100 crore has been sanctioned for advanced machinery in Tanda, IGMC and Ner Chowk Medical Colleges.

The Chief Minister said that reforms introduced by the state government were aimed at benefiting the common masses and dealing with challenges poised to state’s resources.

He urged the public to support the decisions of the government, including the rationalisation of subsidies, and encouraging the affluent to forgo subsidies.

He said the policies and actions of the previous BJP government had widened the gap between the rich and the poor.

“Our government has settled over 2.42 lakh pending revenue cases through special ‘Intkal Adalats’, organised for the first time in the state” he said.

Apart from this, the government has sanctioned 31,000 posts in various departments, as compared to 20,000 during the BJP’s governments stint in power.

An officer of the Public Works Department, Touni Devi, here was fined Rs 5 for not attending Panchayat Samiti meetings for four years.

The fine was imposed in the quarterly meeting of the Panchayat Samiti, Hamirpur, Harish Sharma, the chairman of the samiti said on Tuesday.

The meeting held on Monday was chaired by Sharma.

The Rs 5 fine has been imposed as a token to apprise the officer of his duties and send a message to others, Sharma said. It would be mentioned in the annual confidential report of the officer.

Sharma said the PWD officials of Tauni Devi Mandal were absent from the meeting despite repeated warnings. Due to this, the development work was getting affected. A decision was taken with the consent of all members and the fine was imposed.

However, Devraj, Executive Engineer, PWD, said he was not aware of the meeting. He said he would check if his office received any information on this.

The Himachal Government will soon invite tenders for the country’s longest Rs 5,602 crore ropeway between Parwanoo and Shimla aimed at reducing travel time and traffic congestion on this stretch which witnesses heavy vehicular movement.

With the detailed project report (DPR) of the project being submitted by the Tata Consultancy, it is by the end of this month that global bids will be invited for the ambitious project.

The 40-km ropeway, which will have 11 stations with a two hour travel time will emerge as a major tourist attraction.

“The ropeway will be set up under public-private partnership (PPP) mode and the target for completion is 2030,” said Ajay Sharma, Director, Ropeways Transport Development Corporation (RTDC). He said once commissioned the ropeway will ferry 25 lakh passengers to and fro annually.

The ropeway will have 11 stations at Tara Devi (Goyal Motors), Tara Devi temple, Shighi, Waknaghat, Waknaghat IT City, Karol Ka Tibba, Solan, Barog, Dagghai Cantonment, Jabali and Parwanoo.

During peak tourist season and movement of apple laden trucks, the travel time on this 90 km stretch reaches up to five hours even though the construction of the fourlane highway will reduce travel time.

“We are expecting that the ropeway will ferry about 25 lakh persons in a year and the peak capacity of about one crore will be achieved by the year 2063,” said Sharma. As per the feasibility studies, the ropeway will ferry about 904 persons per hour per direction on its launch in 2030.

Aimed at decongesting the road, the ropeway, the longest in Himachal will attract even more tourists to Himachal, many of whom are not very keen to take the long road journey. On an average, about 22,000 vehicles ply to and from on this road stretch which even touched 40,000 on special occasions like Christmas, New Year and peak tourist season in the summers.

The ropeway will have a span of 40.73 kms and travel time of 120 minutes. The technology that will be used for the ropeway will be tri-cable and mono-cable detachable Gondola system. With land being identified for the setting up of the project, work is likely to begin the moment all the bid and allotment formalities are complete.

The state government is keen to promote setting up of ropeways and tunnels to facilitate travel in the hill state. With Himachal having very limited air and rail connectivity, aerial ropeways are being looked as an alternative travel mode which requires much less land acquisition and reduces the travel time considerably.