It has come to light that Olympian Neeraj Chopra tied the knot at a luxury resort near Kandaghat in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district.

A link road connects the resort to the Kumarhatti-Nahan road.

The wedding, which was kept under wraps, took place on January 15-16, and the couple checked out on January 17.

According to information, the wedding was attended by 70 guests.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today visited the Pong Dam lake in Kangra district for bird watching and toured the ancient temples at the famous tourist site, Bathu Ki Lari.

The said temples remain submerged in Pong Dam lake during monsoons as the water level rises and emerge back when the water level recedes.

The CM said this area has immense potential for tourism and the state government was making significant efforts to promote tourism there.

Sukhu said that migratory birds from Siberia and Mongolia flock to Pong Dam, attracting bird watchers from across the country.

He directed the Forest Department to ensure the safety of these birds. For the convenience of tourists, two boats have already been deployed and two more speed boats would soon be added to facilitate visitors. Basic facilities for tourists would be developed in the area, he added.

The CM said that the government’s initiatives have led to an increase in tourist footfall in the region, with nearly 30,000 tourists visiting the area last year.

“Efforts are underway to introduce water sports activities at the Regional Water Centre, near Pong Dam Barrage, further boosting tourism in the area,” he added.

He said that in Basa of Jawali Assembly constituency, a Wildlife Interpretation Centre has been established at a cost of Rs 3.20 crore to enhance tourist experience and provide educational resources.

This centre aims to create awareness about the importance of conservation and the remarkable migratory patterns of these birds. It offers provision for stay and dormitories, where students from colleges and schools can learn about the rich biodiversity of Pong.

This unique opportunity will enable young minds to connect with nature, learn about the importance of conservation and develop a deeper appreciation for the natural world. We invite bird enthusiasts, nature lovers and students to visit the area for experiencing the beauty and wonder of Pong’s avian birds, he said.

Sukhu said that the number of migratory birds visiting Pong Dam this year had risen significantly. As of December 2024, 92,885 migratory birds were recorded and the count was expected to cross one lakh by the end of the season.

In comparison, 85,000 birds visited the dam during the entire season from October to January in the previous year. On average, 100 species of migratory birds visit Pong Dam annually. This season, 85 species have already been observed, he said.

Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Chander Kumar and Ayush Minister Yadvinder Goma were also present on the occasion.

Large-scale illegal construction of houses, shops and hotels has been going on along the bank of Bithhi khud between Sungal and Aweri stretch on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway.

Even though this activity has been going on unabated in violations of norms, the authorities concerned have failed to act against the violators.

A number of buildings have come up on the bank of the rivulet by covering the khud with concrete slabs leaving no space for normal flow of water.

At many points the width of the river has been reduced to just three meters as against 15 to 20 meters as shown in the revenue records.

The construction has been going on even though the norms laid down by the Town and Country Planning Department and Himachal Pradesh Roadside Land Control Act prohibit such activity.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is custodian of the Pathankot-Mandi Highway, has failed to act and serve any notice on the violators during the past five years.

Most of the buildings have come up in gross violation of HP Roadside Land Control Act, applicable in Himachal Pradesh which also prohibits construction within five meters of the highway.

Besides, there is a provision in the law against construction in flood-prone areas but most of the areas of Pathankot-Mandi highway passing through Kangra district are dotted with hotels, guesthouses, petrol pumps and residential houses.

The Engineer-in-Chief, who retired from the HP State Public Works Department, says that the NHAI should go for demarcation of roads in this stretch of the highway immediately and stop the illegal construction which is a matter of concern. He says the width of the highway in this part is 25 meter to 35 meters.

The entire Dhauladhar ranges of Kangra district fall in the seismic zone-V and are prone to flash floods, natural hazards and cloudbursts. It seems people as well as the administration have not learnt any lessons from the flash floods which rocked the state in 2023, killing nearly 200 persons. Despite specific orders of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department imposing a complete ban on constructions on river beds, the activity continues on the bank of Bithhi khud.

A Central Bureau of Investigation court here on Saturday convicted Himachal Pradesh Inspector General of Police Zahur Haider Zaidi and seven others for the custodial death of an accused in gangrape and murder of a minor school girl in Himachal Pradesh’s Kotkhai in 2017.

The other accused who have been convicted include the then DSP Manoj Joshi, SI Rajinder Singh, ASI Deep Chand Sharma, HHC Mohan Lal, HHC Surat Singh, HC Rafee Mohammad and constable Ranit Sateta.

The court has acquitted former SP DW Negi.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 27.

A 16-year-old girl had gone missing in Kotkhai on July 4, 2017 and her body was found from the forests two days later on July 6. The post-mortem report had confirmed rape and murder and a case was registered.

Amid a huge public outcry in the state, a Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by Zaidi was constituted by the then government.

The SIT arrested six persons, and after the custodial death of one of the accused Suraj, the Himachal Pradesh High Court had handed over the investigations of both the cases to the CBI.

Suraj died on the night of July 18, 2017 at Kotkhai police station in Shimla.

After registering the case on July 22, 2027, the CBI had arrested Zaidi, and other policemen in connection with the custodial death.

The Supreme Court in 2019 transferred the case related to alleged custodial death of an accused from Shimla to Chandigarh.

The apex court transferred the case on a plea filed by the CBI for expeditious disposal of the case.

After investigation, the CBI filed the chargesheet against the accused. Finding prima facie case, charges were framed against the accused to which they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

CBI’s public prosecutor Amit Jindal claimed that all the accused arrested Suraj Singh and seven others and caused hurt and grievous injuries to them to extort confession and fabricating false evidence.

Rabindra Pandit and Siddhant Pandit, counsels for former SP Negi, argued that he had no role in the crime.

After hearing the arguments, the court convicted eight accused in the case. The prosecution has examined over 52 witnesses in the case.

Accused submitted false reports, claims CBI

CBI claims that the accused destroyed the evidence relating to the death of Suraj Singh. They submitted false and fabricated reports to the DGP that Suraj Singh was killed by Rajinder alias Raju in police lockup.

The medical reports also indicated over 20 injuries on the body of the deceased. Another report of the board of AIIMS doctors confirmed the torture inflicted upon the deceased.

CBI claimed that Zaidi, submitted a report to Himachal Pradesh DGP regarding the incident of death of accused in police custody. He deliberately concealed the facts disclosed to him by Ct Dinesh and submitted a false report to DGP.

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will start his 10-day winter sojourn in Dharamsala from tomorrow.

During the sojourn, the Chief Minister would tour various areas of Kangra district and inaugurate and lay foundation stone of various developmental projects in the district.

As per the tour program, tomorrow the Chief Minister would hold a meeting with the officials regarding the ongoing development projects.

He would also listen to the grievances of the public in Dharamsala mini secretariat.

On January 17 the Chief Minister would inaugurate various projects in Dharamsala including meeting hall of Zila Parishad, women police station in police lines and hostel building of mountaineering institute in McLeodganj.

He would lay the foundation stone of food street market being developed under the Smart City project on international cricket stadium road.

On January 18, the CM would visit the Haripur area in Dehra assembly constituency where he would inaugurate the wildlife information centre and lay the foundation stone of high level bridge on Gajj river in the area. The Chief Minister will also visit Jawali Assembly constituency.

On January 19, he would inaugurate district forensic unit in Nurpur Assembly constituency and lay foundation stones of various road projects in the area. The next day, he would visit Manali and inaugurate various development projects.

The CM will return to Dharamsala on January 21. He would inaugurate and lay foundation stone of various development projects in Kangra Assembly constituency.

The programme of the CM for January 22 and 23 was yet to be declared while on 24th he will tour Dharamsala segment.

On January 25 he would preside over the state level Himachal Day function to be held at Baijnath. He would inaugurate the paragliding school and parking of tourism department at Bir.

The practice of holding winter sojourn in lower areas of Himachal was started by former Congress CM Virbhadra Singh in 1990s.

Virbhadra Singh started the winter move of CM as he faced charges of discrimination with lower areas of Himachal.

The practice of holding winter move was continued by BJP CM, Prem Kumar Dhumal who besides Kangra extended his stay in other lower areas of Himachal as Una and Hamirpur district also during the winter months.

BJP CM Jai Ram Thakur, however, discontinued the formal winter sojourn move on the plea that he had extensively travelling in all Assembly constituencies.

A CBI court in Chandigarh has dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Vishal Deep, an ED officer, in an alleged bribery case.

CBI had registered an FIR against Deep, a former Assistant Director-II (Intelligence) in Shimla, on December 22, 2024, under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The officer was posted from November 2023 till December 23, 2024, in Shimla.

The FIR was filed based on complaints from directors of two educational institutions, alleging that Deep and other ED officials demanded bribes to avoid arrest in cases involving their institutions. CBI alleged that Deep, with the help of his relatives, extorted money by threatening arrest in the investigation he oversaw.

CBI court dismisses anticipatory bail plea of ED officer in ‘bribery’ case
In his bail plea, the officer claimed he was investigating an alleged scholarship scam during his posting in Shimla

A CBI court in Chandigarh has dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Vishal Deep, an ED officer, in an alleged bribery case. CBI had registered an FIR against Deep, a former Assistant Director-II (Intelligence) in Shimla, on December 22, 2024, under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The officer was posted from November 2023 till December 23, 2024, in Shimla.

The FIR was filed based on complaints from directors of two educational institutions, alleging that Deep and other ED officials demanded bribes to avoid arrest in cases involving their institutions. CBI alleged that Deep, with the help of his relatives, extorted money by threatening arrest in the investigation he oversaw.

In his bail plea, Deep claimed he was investigating an alleged scholarship scam during his posting in Shimla. He alleged that a CBI DSP and one of the complainants tried to bribe him to dilute charges. Deep claimed he was falsely implicated by CBI to shield senior officers and complainants involved in the scam.

The public prosecutor opposed the bail application, and after hearing arguments, the court dismissed Deep’s plea.

The Government of India has designated areas around Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Mandi district, as eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) to reduce the impact of urbanisation and developmental activities on the surrounding protected areas.

The sanctuary, which spans 29.94 sq km, came into existence in 1962 as an effort to conserve wildlife in the region.

The ESZ includes 43 villages of the Nachan Forest Division and the Karsog Forest Division. The Nachan division includes 34 villages, while Karsog division includes nine villages.

The ESZ was declared under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, to restrict human activities, except agriculture, in the designated areas.

According to Surender Kashyap, Divisional Forest Officer of Nachan and member secretary of the ESZ, the primary goal is to reduce deforestation and human-wildlife conflict.

The zone will be managed using a core and buffer model, aiming to protect wildlife while benefiting local communities.

The designated sensitive zone is defined from 50 m to 2 km around the sanctuary. If the zone had not been established, areas up to 10 km away would automatically have been included, affecting hundreds of villages.

Therefore, the authorities have pre-emptively included only those areas within a 2-km radius. All departments concerned have been asked to submit their plans by January 20.

“Future developmental activities in this zone will be strictly carried out as per the zonal master plan. Any project outside the master plan will not be permitted,” he said.

“Under the ESZ regulations, commercial mining, establishing pollution-causing industries, undertaking major hydropower projects, setting up hotels and resorts, and deforestation will be prohibited.

However, activities that are sustainable like organic farming and rainwater harvesting will be allowed,” he said.

“Furthermore, a special Zonal Master Plan is being developed to guide the future growth of the ESZ. A committee, chaired by the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) of Mandi, has been set up, with members from various forest and government departments, including DFO (Nachan), DFO (Karsog), District Panchayat Officer (Mandi), and District Planning Officer, District Tourism Officer, being a part of it.

The committee has directed all members to submit the detailed action plans for their respective areas by January 20. Without these plans, no further development will be allowed within the zone,” he said.

“The Central Government has directed states to prepare specific master plans for ESZs by February to avoid any disruption to wildlife habitats, and the failure to do so will result in the automatic designation of a 10-km radius as an ESZ,” the DFO said.

The local meteorological office on Monday predicted rain and snow in the middle and high hills of Himachal Pradesh from January 16-19, as a fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from January 14 night.

Snow and rain were seen at isolated places since Sunday evening, with Gondla in Lahaul-Spiti district receiving 1 cm of snow, Kalpa 0.4 cm, while state capital Shimla witnessed traces of snow.

Bharmaur received 5 mm of rain followed by Nahan 4.1 mm, Poanta Sahib 3.2 mm, Rajgarh and Banjar 3 mm each, and Dhaulakuan and Dalhousie 2 mm each.

The tribal areas and higher reaches shivered under piercing cold wave conditions with Kukumseri recording a night temperature of -12.3°C, the lowest in the state, followed by Tabo at -10.9°, Keylong -8.7°, Samdho -7° and Kalpa -3.6°.

The minimum temperature hovered around the freezing point at most of the tourist destinations. Narkanda recorded a night temperature at -2.5°C, Manali -1.1°, Kufri -0.8°, Dalhousie 0.6°, and Shimla 2.4°.

Cold wave continued unabated in parts of Una, Hamirpur and Kangra districts.

Ground frost was observed in Shimla, Jubbarhatti and Bilapsur, while dense fog engulfed Sundernagar and Mandi saw moderate fog, the Met office said.

The winter season rain deficit from January 1 to 13 stood at 81 per cent as the state received 4.8 mm of rain against 25.5 mm normal rainfall seen during this period.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laid the foundation stone of Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School (RGDBS) in Amlehar village of the Nadaun Assembly constituency, near here, on Sunday. The school would be built at a cost of Rs 25 crore on 125 kanal land.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the state government had planned big changes in education sector.

The government is considering creating three separate directorates of education — one for pre-primary to class second, second for classes up to XII and third for colleges. He added that the decision on restructuring of education directorates could be taken in near future.

He said that Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School would bring drastic changes in the field of education. The construction work of schools has been started in 10 Assembly constituencies.

Sukhu said, “It is the vision of the state government to provide quality education to the children studying in government schools in rural areas.

Hence, we are opening Rajiv Gandhi day boarding schools in a phased manner in every Assembly constituency, where all the modern facilities will be available under one roof”.

The Chief Minister said the previous BJP government opened 600 schools without making proper provision for staff.

“Our government decided that Rajiv Gandhi day boarding schools would not be opened until provision for adequate staff is made,” he said adding that due to policies of the previous BJP government, quality of education had gone down and Himachal Pradesh had reached the 21st position in the country.

Sukhu said the state government has sanctioned 11,833 posts in the Education Department in the last two years and over 3,196 teachers have been appointed so far.

He said the government is recruiting 6,297 Early Childhood Care Education Tutors, 5,291 TGTs, Shastris, JBTs and 245 Special Educators.

Sukhu said that state government is strengthening the rural economy. The state government has started procurement of cow milk at Rs 45 and buffalo milk at Rs 55 per litre.

The maize produced through natural farming was being purchased at Rs 30 and wheat at Rs 40 per kilogram. He added that government has procured 4000 metric ton of maize.

The Chief Minister said that MNREGA wages were raised from Rs 240 to Rs 300. The present state government is trying to provide quality facilities to the people of the state.

World class health care technology is being set up at the IGMC, Shimla, and Tanda, Hamirpur and Nerchowk medical colleges of Himachal Pradesh and AIIMS.

He announced construction of new building for Amlehar Gram Panchayat.

Congress leader Subhash Dadhwalia, Director of Higher Education Dr Amarjeet Sharma, SP Hamirpur Bhagat Singh Thakur and Additional District Magistrate Hamirpur Rahul Chauhan were also present on this occasion.

Higher reaches of Lahaul and Spiti received light snowfall today afternoon. Meanwhile, at most places in the state, the weather remained cloudy but dry.

As per the weather department, there is a possibility of light to moderate snowfall at a few places in the districts of Lahaul and Spiti, and Kinnaur tomorrow.

Meanwhile, light to moderate precipitation is likely at a few places in the districts of Shimla, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu and Kangra.

In the remaining districts of the state, there are chances of light to moderate rainfall at a few places. There is also a possibility of thunderstorm with lightning and hail at many places in the state.

With the weather turning cloudy, the average maximum temperature has slipped below normal in most parts of the state.

In a remarkable act of dedication and bravery, three employees of the Jal Shakti Department in Lahaul and Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, have won the admiration of locals for their tireless efforts to restore drinking water supply to the remote village of Hinsa.

Despite facing extreme winter conditions, Sunil Pandit, Chattar Singh, and Jitender displayed unparalleled courage as they worked under freezing temperatures to ensure the supply of potable water to the village.

The trio faced the daunting challenge of repairing the water supply system in freezing cold, where the temperatures reached sub-zero levels.

The water they worked with was icy and stagnant, but they continued undeterred, even at the risk of their own safety.

Their determination has earned them widespread recognition, and videos of their work have gone viral on social media, garnering praise from the public.

Norboo Tsering, a local resident, expressed deep appreciation for the team’s efforts, remarking, “If every individual, whether from government or non-government sectors, worked with such honesty and dedication, not only Lahaul but the entire nation could flourish.

However, most people are preoccupied with personal gains.”

Social media users also weighed in on their extraordinary act of service. One user, Serizava, commented, “Though this work is commendable, it’s important to take care of one’s health as well.

Life is precious, and such extreme dedication is not recommended. However, I salute these unsung heroes of the Jal Shakti Department.”

Ashok Kumar, another netizen, echoed the sentiment of respect, stating, “We strongly demand that these hardworking individuals be honored on Republic Day, January 26, for their unrelenting dedication.

” Meanwhile, Tenzin Wangial Rumba suggested that the district administration should reward these employees and promote them for their exceptional commitment to duty.

Hira Lal, another observer, emphasised that these workers deserve official recognition, stating, “Such diligent employees should be honored on Republic Day. Risking their lives to restore essential services is as important as saving lives.”

Sunil Pandit, multi-task worker of Jal Shakti department, who came into spotlight, while working in the middle of a water stream, in sub-zero temperature, told The Tribune that “it was a harsh experience but, we felt contented, as we succeeded to restore the water supply to the village.”

Shivam Thakur, Junior Engineer of Jal Shakti department Udaipur stated that due to freezing temperatures, water pipes froze.

As a result, water supply got affected to the Hinsa village. These workers displayed exemplary courage to restore the water supply to the Hinsa village in Lahaul and Spiti district.