HIMACHAL PRADESH

The Department has released Rs 1 crore to its district office to help horticulturalists deal with dry conditions prevailing in the state. The state received 98 per cent less than normal rainfall in December.

Besides, the department has advised the growers that mulching should be done to retain moisture in the Soil. Plastic sheets and organic substances such as dry grass and straw, etc., can be used to preserve moisture, said the spokesperson.

Due to drought, the Plants become deficient in boron and calcium. The use of boric acid (0.1%) or calcium chloride (0.5%) are helpful in curing this deficiency.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of 66 Mega Watt Dhaula Sidh hydel power project on December 27. It is learnt that the PM will lay the foundation through virtual mode while he would come to Mandi on completion of four years of the Jai Ram government in the state.

Significantly, the project would be constructed on Beas river and the work on the approach roads and 253 m long diversion tunnel of 10.20 m diameter has been completed by the executing agency Satluj Jal Vidhut Vikas Nigam Limited (SJVNL).

Dhaula Sidh Hydroelectric Project will be a run-of-the-river power project to harness the hydel potential of the Beas. It will have a storage of 6.87 million cusec meter water to utilize it during lean season. Rajesh Chandel, project head, said here that the main dam would be 69.75 m high and 195.14 m long concrete gravity dam would be constructed with two 62 m long pen stokes of 4.3 m diameter to produce the electric power.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi, have developed a method that will make it simple to assess and prioritise strengthening and repairs to enhance the earthquake-resistance capabilities of buildings in the Himalayan region.

The Himalayas are among the most earthquake-prone regions and witness periodic tremors.

Through extensive field surveys, a large cache of data was collected on the types of buildings in the Mandi region and the typical attributes that are connected to their vulnerability to Earthquakes.

A numerical study was also carried out to establish guidelines to count the number of stories in hilly buildings for their rapid-visual screening (RV). Based on the buildings vulnerable characteristics, an improved RVs method was also proposed.

It takes into account the various vulnerability attributes that are unique to the buildings in the region, Saha explained, and said calculations made using these observations produced a seismic vulnerability score for buildings to differentiate vulnerable buildings from more robust ones and allow better decision-making for maintenance and repair.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the was committed to make Himachal Pradesh the best investor destination in the country. The Chief Minister was on a days tour to Baddi where he inaugurated an industrial unit. He said owing to their continuous efforts Himachal has attained 7th rank in Ease of Doing Business in the country.

He said to attract Investment, the first Global Investors Meet was organized in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 in which investment MoUs worth Rs 96,000 crores were signed. Within a month of the meet first ground-breaking ceremony was organized in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in which an investment of about Rs 13,500 crore was received.

Thakur said to encourage more investment, the second ground breaking ceremony would be organised soon with expected investment of several crores.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the medical devices park will be developed over 265 hectares in Solans Nalagarh at a cost of around Rs 267 crore and the state will get Rs 100 crore grant for it from the Centre, according to a statement.

The state is expecting an of over Rs 5,000 crore with a turnover of Rs 20,000 crore besides gainful EMPLOYMENT for about 10,000 people, Thakur said.

Decks have been cleared for the Rs 1,813-crore Satluj water supply scheme for meeting the water requirements of the state capital till 2050 as the Cabinet approved the draft negotiation package for the -funded project.

The Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur gave approval for the negotiations by the Urban Development Department with the World Bank and Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India for funding Shimla Water Supply and Sewerage Services delivery programme for improvement of water services in Greater Shimla Area.

Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj revealed that out of $250 million (Rs 1,813 crore), the World Bank will provide financial assistance to the tune of $160 million (Rs 1,160.32 crore) and the remaining amount of $90 million (Rs 652.68 crore) will be borne by the Himachal Government. He added that Principal Secretary, Department of Urban Development, had been authorized to finalize and sign the negotiation package with the World Bank.

The main component of the water scheme include augmentation of Shimla water supply from river Sutlej with additional 67 MLD to meet the water demand of the state capital up to year 2050. The scheme will help meet the bulk water supply requirement to Shimla peri-urban areas and meet the demand of Special Area Development Authorities (SADA) of Kufri, Shoghi, Ghanahatti and additional planning areasand improved sewerage services within the MC areas.

A perusal of the matter revealed that a majority of the cases were of elopement, but FIRs were registered for kidnapping or abduction. Also, in several cases after the girl was rescued or returned Home, parents filed a complaint under social pressure.

Sharing the data with department officials, Director, Higher Education, Amarjeet Sharma, has directed them to conduct awareness campaigns to sensitise the girls and file the action taken report.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said the Transport Department had set a target to collect a revenue of around Rs 850 crore this year.

The revenue would increase mainly by collecting the taxes pending from different vehicles and through the tax to be imposed on private luxury buses plying illegally in the state.

There are several vehicles with pending taxes. This has resulted in penalties and huge interest liabilities. We are giving them time up to June 30 to clear the actual amount with 10 per cent (fine).

The Himachal Pradesh State Depots Association has urged the to defer the use of biometric machines for the distribution of ration to card holders in all government fair price shops in the state immediately.

Associations state spokesperson Sudarshan Sharma said that these machines posed the risk of the spread of Covid among the ration card holders as well as the depot holders. He added that in view of the rise in Covid cases, the card holders were also hesitating from using the machines to avail of the ration from the fair price shops.

He said the families of 5,000 depot holders and 18.50 lakh consumers were under the constant threat of contracting Covid while using these biometric machines at the depots.

Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are likely to lock horns over a recent decision of the hill state to impose a water cess on the hydropower generation on its turf. The Punjab State Power Corporation (Pspcl) is legally examining the decision.

Punjab has one hydropower project in addition to its stake in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The water cess will now be collected by the Himachal Government keeping in view the size of the project and other parameters.

The Bill in the Vidhan Sabha is aimed to raise Rs 4,000 crore per annum through the cess payable on the water being utilised by the power generation companies, which have projects in the state. Recently, the Congress formed the government in the hill state.