Non-Himachalis, who have bought land in the state for residential purpose, will not be allowed to run homestays in their houses, as they were permitted to purchase land in relaxation of law for self use and not commercial activity.

A Cabinet sub-committee constituted to look into all issues concerning the running of unregistered homestays has submitted its report to the government. The report is likely to be placed at the Cabinet meeting here tomorrow.

Sources say that the sub-committee has recommended that people from other states, who were given relaxation under Section 118 of the Tenancy And land Reform Act, 1971, to purchase land for residential purpose, will not be allowed to run homestays in their houses. Himachalis, who are not farmers and have bought land in relaxation of Section 118, however, will be allowed to run homestays, they added.

There are several such houses that are being run as homestays. There are 4,289 homestays registered with the state Tourism Department though the actual number may be much higher. Another important recommendation of the sub-committee is that all homestays located within the municipal limits and in the planning areas will be charged commercial rates for water and electricity supply. At present, all homestays are being charged domestic rates and as a result, the government has been losing revenue even as some of these units are making good profits.

However, all homestays located in rural areas will continue to be charged domestic rates for water and electricity. The idea is to take the benefits of tourism to the rural and interior areas and create much-needed employment avenues. The sources say that as per the recommendations of the sub-committee, all homestays in the rural areas will have to take a Goods and Services Tax number (GSTN), besides mandatory registration with the Tourism Department.

It has been found that many unregistered homestays are operating illegally in the state. The sub-committee has also recommended that the nominal registration fee being charged from the homestays should be hiked.

The government had constituted a Cabinet sub-committee, headed by Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, to look into all issues concerning homestays following repeated pleas from hoteliers that their businesses were getting affected due to the mushrooming of homestays in the state; the homestays do not pay any taxes to the government.
The Cabinet sub-committee held a series of meetings with the stakeholders and took feedback from hoteliers as well as the owners of homestays to have a pragmatic understanding of the issue. Besides, the government is keen that the owners of homestays should at least be made to pay some taxes as post-Covid, they have become very popular with travellers.

Commercial rates for water, power

Himachalis, who are not farmers and have bought land in relaxation of Section 118, shall be allowed to run homestays, the Cabinet sub-committee has recommended in its report
All homestays located within the municipal limits and in the planning areas should be charged commercial rates for water and electricity supply, as per the sub-committee
However, all homestays located in rural areas will continue to be charged domestic rates for water and electricity
The sub-committee has also recommended that the registration fee being charged from the homestays be hiked

The demolition work of unauthorised floors of a mosque in Shimla’s Sanjauli has begun.

Muhammad Latif, president, Sanjauli Mosque Committee, said the committee has received no objection certificate (NOC) to raze the floors by the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board.

He said he had also informed this to the district administration, Municipal Corporation, Shimla, as well as the Superintendent of Police (SP).

“We have talked to the labourers and if they come today we will start the demolition of the structure from today,” he said. He said it might take three to four months to raze the floors as the committee is utilising its own funds for the work.

The step came after the Commissioner’s Court had directed the Sanjauli Mosque Committee to raze the unauthorised floors of the structure.

After receiving the orders, the committee sought permission to raze the unauthorised floors from the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board as the property is owned by the board.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced to increase the travel allowance of deities and honorarium of ‘bajantris’ (traditional bands accompanying the deities) by 20 per cent during the closing ceremony of the seven-day International Kullu Dasehra festival at Kala Kendra here today. He also announced to increase the ‘nazrana’ (honorarium) of deities by 5 per cent.

The Chief Minister said that staff would soon be notified and deputed in the maternal and child health (MCH) section of the Regional Hospital, Kullu. The facility constructed at a cost Rs 12.95 crore having capacity of 100 beds was inaugurated by the then CM Jai Ram Thakur on June 18, 2022, but the appointment of doctors and paramedic staff have not been notified yet.

The Chief Minister added that the scope of medical college would be discussed at the Cabinet meeting. He said adequate number of doctors and nurses would be appointed in all the model health institutions.

Hike in ‘nazrana’

The CM announced a raise in travel allowance of deities and honorarium of ‘bajantris’ by 20 per cent. He also hiked ‘nazrana’ (honorarium) of deities by 5 per cent.
The Chief Minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones of development projects worth Rs 102 crore for Kullu during a ceremony at Bhuntar, 10 km from here, today. He laid the foundation stone of the double-lane Bhuntar bridge to be constructed at a cost of Rs 4.56 crore.

He announced construction of a bridge at a cost of about Rs 26 crore to connect the left and right banks of Beas at Pirdi near Kullu town. He said that the state government would make every effort to ensure construction of Bhubu Jot tunnel.

Under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund, he laid the foundation stones of embankment and flood protection works at vulnerable places from Ramshila to Bhuntar totalling approximately Rs 60 crore. He laid the foundation stone for the augmentation work of water supply scheme for Bhuntar town to be constructed at a cost of Rs 22 crore under Amrut-2.0 scheme. He also inaugurated a lift water supply scheme from Beas to Solah Tanki, Shaldhar in Kharal valley constructed at a cost of 9.62 crore. The CM also took stock of the base station site of Rs 273 crore Bijli Mahadev ropeway at Pirdi.

The CM was the chief guest during the sixth cultural evening of the International Folk dance festival at Kala Kendra here yesterday. He extended his best wishes to everyone for the festival and stated that since last year the Kullu Dasehra festival has truly achieved international flavour.

Neeraj Shridhar of Bombay Vikings was the star performer while Indian Idol fame singer Kumar Sahil also enthralled the viewers. Artistes from Uzbekistan mesmerised the audience with their captivating performances.

The First Gorkha Rifles (1GR), one of the oldest Indian Army and most distinguished regiments, commemorated its two-day reunion in Solan’s Sabathu.

Lt Gen Sanjeev Chauhan, Colonel of 1 GR, said the reunion is a testament to the unbreakable bonds that tie all members of the regiment together.

He said that it’s a time to honour the sacrifices of comrades and celebrate the shared legacy of courage and brotherhood that defines the First Gorkha Rifles.
This occasion brought together generations of soldiers who have served under the regiment’s banner, celebrating a legacy of valour and sacrifice that spans 209 years, he added.
The two-day event witnessed the participation of over 500 serving officers, veterans and families, reaffirming the deep bonds that unite the regiment.

Veterans from across the country and Nepal attended the reunion, which is held once in four years.
The 1st Gorkha Rifles has a storied history as it played a pivotal role in significant battles and operations in pre- independence and post-independence India.

The reunion featured a series of events, including a wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial, to honour the martyrs at the war memorial and and a special ‘sainik sammelan’ that was addressed by senior officers.
Other events included a bara-khana to celebrate the regiment’s rich heritage and cultural programmes showcasing the Gorkha Rifles’ vibrant traditions, unveiling statues and releasing an yearbook.

The First Gorkha Rifles, also known as The Malaun Regiment, was originally raised in 1815 as part of the East India Company’s Bengal Army. It has since taken part in numerous campaigns in India and overseas, and after Independence participated in all wars and major operations.

Officials from six countries met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during the Ambassors’ Meet at the International Kullu Dasehra festival in Mohal, 4 km from here, today.

The Ambassadors of Tajikistan, Brunei, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and officials of Russia and Guyana participated in the meet. However, the participation of the ambassadors, excellencies and heads of the embassies of 12 countries was expected.

The Chief Minister said that discussions were held at the Ambassadors’ Meet on cultural exchange and investment opportunities in the state.

He added that it was for the first time that such a meeting had taken place. He added that it would give new dimensions to the festival.

Sukhu emphasised the need for investment in tourism, green energy, data storage, food processing and other sustainable sectors and invited global investors to invest in Himachal. He said, “It was a pleasure to share the futuristic vision of Himachal Pradesh with foreign guests. Our government aims to make Himachal self-reliant by 2027 and one of the most prosperous states in the country by 2032.”

The Chief Minister witnessed the festivities on the second last day of the Dasehra festival, locally called ‘mohalla’, during which the deities participating in the festival visit the camp temple of Lord Raghunath to support the chief deity for killing Ravana on the last day of the seven-day festival.

Sukhu paid obeisance at the camp temple of Lord Raghunath and witnessed folk dance ‘Laldi’ at the Rath ground. He also visited exhibitions set up by various departments during the festival.

Various other traditional rituals were performed during the ‘mohalla’. The ‘chharibardar’ (chief caretaker) of Lord Raghunath, Maheshwar Singh, as a representative of Lord Rama, perform Durga Puja at the camp temple at the Dhalpur ground.

It is believed that the Goddess Tripura Sundari Devi, one of the ‘Kul devis’ of the erstwhile rulers of Kullu, blesses Lord Raghunath to win over the evils. Goddess Kali was also worshipped and would be pleased with making offerings on Saturday. The ‘mohalla’ festivities are the final preparations of conquering Ravan in the ‘Lanka dahan’ ceremony to be held on Saturday.

An international group of artistes from six countries entertained the spectators by their scintillating performances during the fifth cultural evening of the seven-day International Folk Dance Festival at the Kala Kendra on Thursday.

Singers Payal Thakur and Gurnam Bhullar mesmerised the audience with their voices while comedian Rajeev Malhotra entertained the viewers with his jokes and satires. Education Minister Rohit Thakur was the chief guest on the occasion.

In Narauli village of Mandi district, Asha Ram has emerged as a beacon of hope, adopting Subhash Palekar’s natural farming method.

Cultivating various crops without chemicals on 5.5 bighas, he has earned an annual income of Rs 1.5 lakh.

Farmers’ commitment and the state government’s support have led to the rise of natural farming in Himachal Pradesh. More and more residents are recognising the benefits of this sustainable practice.

Asha Ram made the switch to chemical-free agriculture due to rising health concerns linked to chemical use and declining soil quality.

In 2018, he participated in a month-long seminar on natural farming organised by the Agriculture Department under the ATMA project at the Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Solan. Post-training, he applied techniques learned from the seminar to his practice.

Today, Asha Ram cultivates wheat, peas, pulses, maize, traditional grains, cauliflower, mustard, barley and pomegranates using natural farming techniques.

The pomegranate varieties he has planted include Mridula, Kandhari, Kandhari Kabuli and Seedless Dolka, all of which show promising results.

He sells his pomegranates at the local Karsog market, generating an income of Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000 annually from this crop alone.

Combined with other crops, his total income has reached approximately Rs 1.5 lakh per year.

Asha Ram said, before adopting natural farming, he incurred expenses of about Rs 22,000-25,000 annually on chemical farming.

Now, these costs had been reduced to just Rs 3,000-4,000. This shift had also improved soil health, and increased the population of beneficial insects in his fields.

According to him, the ATMA project has supported him with grants for constructing a permanent floor for his cow shed and setting up a resource centre.

He is actively working to involve other local farmers in this sustainable approach, aiming to transform the entire village into a model village for natural farming.

ATMA project Block Technology Manager (Karsog subdivision) Mohit commended Asha Ram for his efforts, stating that he had truly sparked a new wave of hope in the community
The department continues to provide ongoing support to enhance his economic stability, and promote sustainable agriculture in the region.

Govt support helped

Asha Ram cultivates wheat, peas, pulses, maize, traditional grains, cauliflower, mustard, barley and pomegranates using natural farming techniques
He sells his pomegranates at the local Karsog market, generating an income of Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000 annually from this crop alone
The govt project supported him with grants for constructing a permanent floor for his cow shed and setting up a resource centre

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Central Water Commission, and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on a PIL highlighting unauthorised constructions on riverbed and their adverse impacts on environment, ecology and public health.

A bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud asked the respondent ministries, departments/commissions/boards to respond in three weeks to the PIL filed by Ashok Kumar Raghav, a former Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, who wanted the court to ban all unauthorised constructions and encroachments on riverbeds, floodplains and catchment areas of all rivers.

Citing news reports linking illegal mining, flash floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to illegal encroachments on riverbeds, Raghav has sought directions to demolish all unauthorised constructions and encroachments on the riverbeds, floodplains and catchments of all rivers, water courses and water channels, including the tributaries and restore them to their original forms.

On behalf of Raghav, advocate Akash Vashishtha submitted that increasing illegal and unauthorised constructions/encroachments on floodplains and catchment areas of rivers and water courses have become the biggest cause of devastation across India.

The PIL sought directions to notify the 2015 draft of the River Conservation Zone (RCZ) Regulation without any further delay and demarcation of the floodplains of all rivers, water courses and water channels within a time-bound period not exceeding three months. The draft RRZ proposes to establish River Conservation Zones (RCZs) to prevent encroachments on rivers and floodplains.

Citing the Composite Water Management Index report of the Niti Aayog, the petitioner stated that India was suffering from the worst water crisis in its history.

“According to a reply tendered by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti in Lok Sabha on March 23 last year, the per capita water availability in the country is fast reducing due to increasing population,” the PIL pointed out.

A PhD on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Magnesite mining in Central Indian Himalayas, Raghav is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of London and the Bioved Research Society and had been the Vice-Chancellor of APG Shimla University, Shimla.

He was conferred with Green Award of Doon Ratna Series ‘Shivalik Ratan’ under the aegis of Uttarakhand Citizen Council jointly by the Governor, Chief Minister and Lokayukta of Uttarakhand for research work on the degradation of the Himalayan environment.

Raghav urged the top court to intervene and grant legal protection to all rivers, including tributaries, as well as water courses and water channels, and floodplains and catchments thereof to ensure water and ecological security for the people of India.

Residents of Lindur village in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti are facing an escalating land subsidence crisis, prompting them to demand urgent rehabilitation to safer locations. The situation has become increasingly perilous as 14 houses had developed significant cracks, rendering them uninhabitable. The subsidence has not only threatened the residential area, but has also impacted the agricultural land, causing substantial damage to the livelihoods of local farmers.

Relief camps set up

Villagers have expressed fears as large fissures continue to appear in fields, triggering landslides that further exacerbate the instability in the region.
The residents, citing safety concerns, have been vocal about the necessity of relocating to a safer area.
In response to the alarming situation, the district administration has set up temporary relief camps to provide shelter to the affected villagers.
Recently, Lahaul and Spiti MLA Anuradha Rana visited the village to assess the crisis.
Villagers have expressed fears as large fissures continue to appear in fields, triggering landslides that further exacerbate the instability in the region. The residents, citing safety concerns, have been vocal about the necessity of relocating to a safer area where they could rebuild their lives without the constant threat of land collapse.

Hira Lal Rashpa, one of the affected villagers, stated, “We have been seeking rehabilitation to another place because this area has become unsafe for living. The situation is worsening every day due to land subsidence.”

In response to the alarming situation, the district administration has set up temporary relief camps to provide shelter to the affected villagers in case of any emergency.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld a widow’s entitlement to liberalised family pension for her husband’s death while aiding in a natural calamity. But the court did not interfere with an order restricting the arrears of the pension to three years before the filing of her petition, due to a significant delay in initiating the claim.

The matter was placed before the Bench of Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Sudeepti Sharma after the petitioner challenged an order by the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) that limited the payment of arrears to three years preceding her application date. The Bench was told that her husband, an ex-Naik, was killed in 2009 while assisting military and civil authorities to extinguish a forest fire near the Indo-China border. He was posthumously declared a “battle casualty,” which entitled families to liberalised family pension under category ‘D’ as per government policy for personnel killed during operational duties.

The AFT initially ruled in favour of the petitioner, allowing liberalised family pension but limiting the arrears due to the delayed filing. The petitioner contested the limitation, seeking full arrears. The Union of India argued that the petition should have been filed in the Himachal Pradesh High Court, where the cause of action arose.

The Bench rejected the jurisdictional objection, noting that the impugned order originated from the AFT in Chandigarh, giving the Punjab and Haryana High Court authority over the matter. The court observed the order was issued by AFT in Chandigarh and not by a circuit Bench temporarily held in Shimla. If the order had been made while the AFT regional bench was sitting in Shimla, it might have been appropriate to challenge it in the Himachal Pradesh High Court. But since the proceedings were conducted in Chandigarh, the jurisdiction to hear this case rightly belonged to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which has its principal seat in Chandigarh.

On the merits, the court reviewed government policies regarding death and disability benefits. The petitioner argued that her husband’s death should be classified under category ‘E’ for fatalities in direct operational circumstances, rather than category ‘D.’ However, the court dismissed this claim, affirming the AFT’s classification under category ‘D,’ which applies to personnel fatalities during assistance in civil matters like natural

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today allocated Rs 50 crore for the payment of the pending overtime dues of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) staff. These dues were pending for the past 55 months and the government would look to clear them completely by March 31 next year.

The Chief Minister, while presiding over the golden jubilee celebrations of the HRTC here, announced that the government would settle pending medical bills amounting to Rs 9 crore in the next two months and the salary and pension would be disbursed on October 28.

Sukhu congratulated the HRTC staff and pensioners on the golden jubilee and acknowledged their contributions to the development of the state. He urged the HRTC officials to transform it into a ‘green corporation’ so that it becomes self-reliant by March, 2026. He alleged that financial mismanagement by the previous BJP government had pushed the corporation into losses but his government was making all-out efforts and taking all reforms to improve its fiscal health.

Sukhu said that besides upgrading the infrastructure of the corporation, the government was also ensuring the welfare of its employees. “Around 7,300 HRTC employees are now getting the benefit of the old pension scheme (OPS), the services of 1,546 contractual employees have been regularised and 608 new jobs have been created. Around 550 positions are being filled and 421 employees have been promoted,” he added.

He said that his government had added 210 new ordinary buses, 11 Volvo buses and 35 electric buses to the HRTC fleet. “There are plans to purchase 297 type-1 electric buses, 30 air-conditioned type-3 electric buses, 50 mini buses and 24 Volvo buses. A budget of Rs 327 crore has been allocated to the HRTC for the purchase of electric buses,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sukhu released the HRTC’s Coffee Table Book and honoured its officers and employees for their exceptional services. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said that the true strength of the HRTC lied in the professionalism and dedication of its employees. “Travelling in an HRTC bus has become a symbol of comfort and attraction. The effective management of the corporation has not only improved the occupancy rates but increased public trust in the services of the HTRC,” he added.

Agnihotri said that the Chief Minister had an emotional connection with the HRTC, as his late father had worked for it. “Around six lakh passengers travel in HRTC buses every day, which makes it the lifeline of this hilly state having a challenging topography,” he added. He thanked the Chief Minister for allocating Rs 327 crore for the purchase of electric buses for the corporation.

Managing Director, HRTC, Rohan Chand Thakur gave a detailed account of the achievements of the corporation over its 50-year journey.

Tensions are escalating between technocrats from the Jal Shakti Department and the district bureaucracy in Kangra over the recent allotment of a government house in Dharamsala.

The Engineers Association of the Jal Shakti Department is protesting the Deputy Commissioner’s decision to reassign a general pool quarter, which has been occupied by the department for 32 years, to the Commissioner of the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation.

Sandeep Guleria, spokesperson for the Engineers Association, voiced the department’s frustration, stating that the house had long served as essential accommodation for the Superintendent Engineer (SE) of the Jal Shakti Department. According to Guleria, the sudden reallocation of the residence, without prior consultation or regard for the department’s needs, was an unjust and disruptive decision. He further emphasised that the house had been critical for the SE posted in Dharamsala for decades and that the new allotment violated established departmental housing traditions.

In addition to the reallocation, the DC imposed a penal recovery of rent on the SE of the Jal Shakti Department, requiring him to vacate the house, even during his retirement ceremony. Guleria criticised this action as punitive and said it would negatively impact the morale of engineers who serve the public tirelessly.

The Engineers Association, alongside technocrats from the Public Works Department (PWD) and Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Pvt Ltd, is planning to join forces in protest. They have sought intervention from the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, urging the Deputy Commissioner to reverse the allotment, cancel the penal recovery, and provide justice to their department.

However, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa dismissed the claims, stating that the Engineers Association was sensationalising the issue. He asserted that the house in question was part of the general pool and could be allocated to anyone, regardless of past occupants. Bairwa offered to assign an alternative house from the general pool to the SE of the Jal Shakti Department, emphasising that long-term occupancy did not entitle the department to adverse possession rights over the property.