HIMACHAL PRADESH

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate developmental projects worth Rs 11,279 crore to the people of the State in Mandi on December 27 on the occasion of completion of four years of the tenure of the present .

Thakur inaugurated the Eat Right Mela at the Dhalpur ground in District Kullu today and addressing the public meeting, he said that the Prime Minister would address a massive public meeting at Mandi on December 27. He said the PM would dedicate 111 MW capacity Sawra-Kuddu Hydro Electric Project to the people of the state at a cost of Rs. 2082 crore and would alsolay foundation stone of 148 meter high Renuka ji dam to be built on Giri river at a cost of Rs 6,700 crore.

The Chief Minister said the Prime Minister would lay the foundation stone of 210 MW Luhri Stage-I Hydro Electric Project of Rs.1811 crore in District Shimla and Kullu and 66 MW Dhaulasiddh Hydro Power Project to be constructed with an expenditure of Rs.688 crore. He said that this is the first time in the HISTORY of the State that development projects worth Rs. 11,279 crore are being dedicated to the people of Himachal Pradesh by any Prime Minister.

Even as a record 75.6 per cent voter turnout was registered in Himachal Pradesh during the November 12 Assembly polls, apathy among urban voters continued with Shimla recording the lowest voting Percentage at 62.53, data shared by the (EC) today showed.

Compared with the 2017 Elections, the turnout in the states capital fell by 1.4 per cent. Urban Shimlas important localities, including government colonies, clocked some of the lowest polling percentages (ranging in fifties).

62.53% lowest voter turnout in Shimla constituency

100% turnout at Tashigang, worlds highest polling booth

8% lower turnout in urban areas than that in rural segments

4.5%more Women cast their vote than male voters

After 15 years,Himachal Pradeshis going to change its policy to address fresh challenges in hydro, Biomass and solar power development. The state has prepared adraft energy policy 2021that aims to promote green, clean and sustainable generation of energy to enable quick harnessing of full potential of Himachal Pradesh. It also aims to harness and commission 10,000 MW of hydro energy by 2030 to have an operational capacity of 20,948 MW beside upgrading the existing run ofriver hydro plantsforpumped storage Plants/hybrid power plants.

According to officials, the hydro power policy 2006 of the state has served its objectives well and over the last 15 years, there has been a paradigm shift in energy scenario of the country. The country is moving towards RENEWABLE ENERGY that is total green energy as per the Paris Agreement signed in December 2015. The solar and wind power share is increasing at a faster rate than the hydro. Hydro power along with hybrid, battery and pumped storages and hydrogen energy is going to be the focus areas in coming years.

Himachal Pradesh is blessed with hydro potential of 24,587 MW distributed over five river basins, out of which 10,948 MW has been harnessed (as on October 31 this year) and out of 13,639 MW, maximum potential will be harnessed by 2030.

The principal objectives of draft policy aims to promote green and clean and sustainable generation of energy to enable quick harnessing of full potential of Himachal Pradesh. It aims to expedite development of hydro-electric projects by adopting a four pronged strategy by way of participation of state, joint, central and private sectors.
Under new policy, it has been proposed to promote storage or pondage, including pumped storage power plants/combined cycle power plants, battery storage and other emerging technologies such as Hydrogen storage, capable of quick ramp up and ramp down and store energy with higher efficiency for long duration.

Policy aims to develop adequate and efficient transmission Network in the state and to evolve a dynamic and robust electricity Infrastructure for better consumer Services. It also proposes to revitalize state utility for distribution of power and to establish and promote a power trading entity in the state.

Collaborations with E-Commerce platforms such as Flipkart and Amazon has helped self-help groups (SHGs) fetch orders from all across the country for 268 products launched under the brand name Son Chiraiya by the Department of Urban Development.

The initiative has brought 176 orders worth Rs 1.3 lakh for the SHGs from all over the country. More than 3,500 SHGs are functional in (ULBs) of the state and most of them are engaged in making a variety of products, such as baskets, pen stands, file covers, jams, jellies, woollens, etc.

The scheme is a placement-linked skill training programme, which aims to transform poor rural youth into economically independent and globally relevant workforce. The beneficiaries of the scheme have received EMPLOYMENT in the state and in neighbouring states as well.

As per the release, the scheme has proven to be an effective rural development initiative for poor, rural youth. Such youth in the 15-35 age group, specially abled people, Women and those from weaker sections, up to the age of 45 years, are covered under the scheme. The programme has an outcome-led design with guaranteed placements for at least 70 per cent trained candidates.

The Una administration has launched Sombhadra as an umbrella brand name for all products being made by Women self-help groups (SHG) supported by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) in the district. The brand namewas launched by Deputy Commissioner Raghav Sharma at the temporary sale outlet set up at the Una municipal park under the theme Vocal for local.

The Swan river, which originates at Marwari village in Gagret subdivision, traverses almost 55 km along the entire length from North to South of the district. This river, along with its Network of 73 tributaries, has sustained the and Fauna, besides shaping agricultural practices and lifestyle of the local civilisation for centuries. The Swan river has been referred to as river Sombhadra in ancient Indian scriptures.

With Covid situation improving, Himachal Pradesh is eyeing to boost industrial in the state by ensuring ground breaking of over Rs 10,000 crore worth of MoUs in coming days.

Jai Ram Thakur while congratulating the Icons of Himachal, said that these individuals awarded by The Times of India have contributed immensely to their motherland and ignited the lives of thousands of others by providing them ample opportunities for development and Growth. He said that all the entrepreneurs have also contributed significantly towards the development of the State.

He said that despite being a small State, Himachal Pradesh has shown way to several big states of the country by pioneering in various sectors. He said that the State Government has taken several initiatives to invite the entrepreneurs to be partner in the developmental journey of the State. Himachal Pradesh has been ranked at 7th position in Ease of Doing Business. He said that Himachal Pradesh has emerged as a Faster Moving State in the country by providing congenial Environment for the entrepreneurs to invest.

Himachal Pradesh chief ministerSukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said that due to difficult topography and limited landholding, cultivation in the state had become quite tough as compared to the neighbouring states and to overcome this challenge and to ensure integrated development of Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture in the state, his government had decided to start area-based integrated and comprehensive AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT scheme Him Unnati.

Sukhu said by converging existing schemes of the agriculture and animal husbandry department and incorporating sub-projects of JICA Phase-II, Him Unnati aimed to uplift the socio-economic conditions of beneficiary families. The initial phase will get Rs 150 crore, with provisions for clusters specializing in milk production, pulses, , vegetables, fruits, flowers, Cash Crops, and natural farming.

HimachalPradesh is eagerly waiting for the announcement of a bulk drug park by theCentre. State industries ministerBikram Singhrecently called on Union minister of chemicals and fertilizersD V Sadananda Gowdaat New Delhi and informed him that Himachal had submitted highly competitive proposals for bulk drug and medical devices parks to the department of pharmaceuticals. He also requested Gowda for early announcement of the results for these parks as it would stabilize the API prices and also result in import substitution.

Bikram Singh has also informed the Union minister that presently the state was Home to more than 700 pharma companies and had emerged as the largest pharma formulation hub in the country.