Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP), Dharamsala, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indiana University, Pennsylvania (IUP), USA. The partnership will focus on academic and research collaboration between the two universities.
Professor Bansal added the universities would make efforts to identify and develop courses at undergraduate and post-graduate level wherein credit sharing could be possible.
The Himachal Pradesh government has approved and notified a new scheme, Himachal PradeshSwarn Jayanti(Legacy Cases Resolution) Scheme-2021, to settle all pending legacy cases and recover arrears stuck in cases under litigation. Himachal Pradesh Swarn Jayanti (Legacy Cases Resolution) Scheme-2021 will be available for the pre-GST taxpayers to resolve tax liability and disputes.
The scheme will be valid for six months from its publication in the official gazette of the Himachal Pradesh. It will come in two phases. In the first phase of four months, the dealer is required to pay due tax along with settlement fee at 10% and in the second phase of two months, 150% of the settlement fee as applicable in the earlier phase along with due tax.
Stakeholders or dealers can apply under the scheme by visiting the circle or district office of the department concerned. The dealers will have to deposit applicable settlement fee online in relevant head of account of subsumed enactment and no manual fee will be accepted.
He said that the Rath Yatra would celebrate the contribution of a common man in these 50 years of the glorious journey of Himachal Pradesh. The State Government would organize 51 events across the State by different departments. Swarnim Rath Yatra would cover almost all the constituencies of the State in over two months.
A mega event would be held on January 25, 2022 on the State level Statehood day function, he said.
Thakur said the State Government was contemplating to organize the Swarnim Himachal Rath Yatra in the State from January 25 this year but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was postponed.
The state industries minister informed theHousethat 8,46,209 educated persons had been registered in the state as unemployed. In last two years, 28,661 persons have got jobs in government sector.
The state Agriculture Department is motivating farmers to cultivate millets in at least one or two fields and include these in their daily diet to stay healthy. This is being done as this year is being celebrated as International Year of Millets.
He said arrangements were being made under a special action plan to promote natural farming. So far, 14,130 farmers of the district had adopted natural farming on about 1,646 hectares, he added.
About the availability of seeds in the district under various schemes, he said 1,786 quintals of wheat, 2,246 quintals of maize and 127.6 quintals of paddy seeds had been distributed among farmers.
The chief ministerSukhvinder Singh Sukhuled government ofHimachal Pradeshwill generate 2,000MW of electricity in the next three years to fulfil its election promise of providing 300 units of free electricity to the people of the state made during the assembly elections.
He said that the state government would also try to get 30 percent free power from all those hydroelectric projects set up in the state, which have become debt free. He said that if the government succeeds in this work, then every year the state will get an additional income of Rs 10,000 crore. He regretted that the power policy also changed with the change of government in the state, due to which the royalty of the state kept on decreasing.
He said that at present 12000 MW electricity is being generated in Himachal Pradesh, but the state’s share in it is just nominal. He said that on March 2, 2024, the 99-year lease of the Shanan hydroelectric project would end and the state government was constantly trying to take back this project.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said that his government will ensure budgetary provisions before announcing and implementing public welfare or development schemes in the state. His government would not follow the previous government, which had announced various schemes without any budgetary provision just to gain political mileage, he added.
He said that all 10 guarantees given to the people of the state in the Congress election manifesto would be fulfilled by making required budgetary provisions. My government is committed to improving the fiscal health of the state and will boost the economy in the next three years, he added.
Sukhu said that the government had adopted zero tolerance to corruption and the suspension of the Staff Selection Commission, Hamirpur, which had become a den of selling jobs, was the first nail in the coffin of corrupt practices.
On the occasion of birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday launched Gram Panchayat Gyan Kendra, an initiative of District Administration at Prini, the village of Atal Behari Vajpayee, along with ten other Gram Panchayat Gyan Kendras of Nagar, Kullu and Banjar Developmental Blocks of Kullu district.
Virtually interacting with the Pradhans of the Gram Panchayat Gyan Kendras, Chief Minister said that this initiative of the district administration was indeed a commendable step as the youth of these panchayats would get opportunity to prepare for competitive examinations. He said that the students would not only get 24-hour library facilities nearer to their homes but they would also get internet and wifi-facilities. Thakur said that since this initiative has been taken on the birth anniversary of Atal Behari Vajpayee, these Gyan Kendra would be named as Atal Gyan Kendra as a mark of respect to the former Prime Minister as he had chosen Manali as his home. He said that the State Government would provide all possible help to further strengthen this initiative.
The Chief Minister also thanked the National Book Trust for providing books to these Gyan Kandras and also urged the general public to donate books for these Kandras. He also appealed to the other panchayats of the district as well as state to replicate this initiative in their respective districts.
The Himachal Police have launched a Cyber Crime Investigator Badge, which will be one of a kind initiative among all states police forces in the country to reward those excelling in investigation in such cases.
It will be a new reward scheme for cyber crime investigation and will be given twice in a year by the DGP to young police officers who excel in the upcoming field of cyber-crime investigation. It will motivate them to specialise in the field of cyber-crime investigation and also give them a unique identity.
As many as 100 government elementary schools have been approved by the government under the Swaran Jayanti Gyanodaya Cluster Shrestha Vidayalaya Scheme for improving the quality of education so that the students and parents could repose confidence in these.
Under the scheme, a budgetary provision of Rs 15 crore, (Rs 15 lakh per school) has been made for 2021-22 for providing the improved toilets, electricity, library, better drinking water facilities, adequate and smart classrooms, sports facilities and furniture.
Financial limits have been fixed for each component and Rs 8 lakh has been earmarked for the school
campus development, need-based constructions, renovations and renovation of buildings, toilets, water supply, electricity and fans, playground, boundary walls, lawns, benches, open air gym, stage, waste disposal, botanic garden, environment-friendly features and solar light panels.
Cluster schools will be permitted to spend Rs 1.50 lakh on items for cultural programmes, dress, musical instruments, band and public address system.
A provision of Rs 1.25 lakh per school has been made for thermal scanners, pulse oximeters, material for sanitisation and other activities to combat Covid and Rs 75,000 for procurement and upgrade of sports equipment.