HIMACHAL PRADESH

Raising the demand, Chauhan also brought out the anomaly in the prices offered to the growers of the two states through MIS. Even though the scheme is same, Kashmiri apple growers get Rs 24for their Grade C variety,while their counterparts in Himachal get only Rs 9.50. The difference is huge. he said.

Not just Grade C, NAFED also buys Grade A and Grade B apple in Kashmir. In Himachal, the MIS is applicable only to Grade C apple. Chauhan said last year, NAFED offered Rs 60 per kg, Rs 44 and Rs 24 for Grade A, B and C, respectively, to Kashmiri growers.

Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam (HPKVN) has signed 10 new memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with various Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) to create better academic avenues for the youth of Himachal Pradesh.

These MoUs were signed between the Managing Director HPKVN, Jatin Lal and representatives of 10 different SSCs here today. A total of 4,000 combined seats would now be available for different free courses to the youth. The HPKVN will spend almost Rs 15 crore on these training programmes.

The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Saturday approved to engage 3,970 para workers on an honorarium basis in theJal Shakti Departmentfor schemes across the state. Consent was given to fill up 389 posts of panchayat secretaries throughStaff Selection Board. Moreover, the Cabinet also underlined that steps will be taken to ensure jobs for Agniveers.

In order to encourage innovation and research in Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and sector, the Cabinet meeting chaired by chief ministerJai Ram Thakurgave its approval to provide research fund of Rs 5 crore each for Agriculture and Horticulture Universities of the state.

The Cabinet also decided to amend the Himachal Pradesh Widow Remarriage Rules-2013 by making a provision of providing grant of Rs 65,000 instead of existing Rs 50000 to the couple.

Shimla and Dharamsala, two Smart Cities of the state, have secured 16th and 90th positions, respectively, in the Climate Smart City Assessment Framework (CSCAF). As many as 125 cities had participated in the assessment.

Launched recently by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the objective of this initiative is to provide a clear roadmap for cities towards combating while planning and implementing their policies and inculcate a climate-sensitive approach to urban planning and development in the country.

The Climate Smart City Assessment Framework initiative was recently launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)

Four other cities Mandi, Hamirpur, Palampur and Solan also participated in the initiative

All these finished with the rankings over 100, with Palampur taking the 125th place

The cities were judged on five parameters energy and green building, urban planning, green cover and Biodiversity, mobility and air quality, water management and Waste Management.

The Chief Minister said that the farmers will now get the subsidy of Rs 1200 per bag on DAP from the existing Rs 500 per bag. Despite the international price hike, the farmers would get the Fertilizers at old rates of Rs 1200 per bag, he said.

Thakur said that DAP is the second most commonly used fertilizer in India. The annual consumption of DAP is around 1200 to 1500 MT in Himachal Pradesh.

He said that farmers normally apply this fertilizer in Rabi season in potato and wheat crops just before or at the time of sowing. It is majorly used in Una, Kangra and some parts of Paonta Sahib and Nalagarh in the state. Last year, the actual price of DAP was Rs 1700 per bag in which the Central Government was providing a subsidy of Rs 500 per bag, he added.

The Chief Minister further said that recently, the international prices of phosphoric acid, ammonia etc. used in DAP had gone up by 60 percent to 70 percent, resulting in an increase in price of DAP bag to Rs 2400 per bag.

Himachal Pradeshhas been able to save Covid-19vaccinedoses by achieving zerowastage.
NHM mission director Nipun Jindal said 19,86,812doseshad been administered in the state till May 7 and stock received by the state was 21,19,710, while stock available at cold chain points after utilisation according to eVIN was 1,60,730. Hence, he said, vaccine wastage in the state was -1.4%, whereas it was as high as10% in other states.

He said vaccinators in Himachal Pradesh had been trained to load and administer the doses with attention to wastage. He said it was observed that in most of the vials there were extra doses.

He said according to data, Himachal Pradesh has the highest full immunisation coverage among all states in the country. He said Himachal Pradesh sustained its routine immunisation activities duringCovidpandemic as well and this had been possible because of team efforts and intensive microplanning, monitoring and supervision.

After the opening of Rohtang Tunnel, the inflow of tourists has increased many folds inLahaul-Spiti districtofHimachal Pradeshafter which now lack of facilities for the visitors are being felt in the district.

Realising the need to create the required to facilitate tourists, now theTourism departmentunderNew Asian Development Bankfunded project, has proposed to develop tourism infrastructure under sub project titled Tourism Allied Activities at Greater Rohtang Tunnel Entry & Exit point (North & South Portal)” at a cost of Rs 60 Crore.

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in a written reply to the question asked by Lahaul-Spiti MLA Ravi Thakur stated that preparation of detailed project report (DPR) is under progress for this.

He said that the tourism department has released Rs 20,89,16,589 for the development of tourism infrastructure in Lahaul-Spiti district under various schemes.

Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday met several Union Ministers in New Delhi to raise issues related to the hill state.

During his visit to Delhi, Thakur met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Union Power Minister RK Singh. During his meeting with the Railways Minister, the Chief Minister urged him for expansion of the RAILWAY Network in the state.

He said that the has made efforts to give pace to the work on Bhanupali-Bilaspur railway line so that it could be completed soon. He requested the Union Minister to speed up the work on this railway line and added that extension of this line up to Leh is very important from a strategic point of view. He apprised that a full length survey on the line is completed and urged for taking further action in this matter.

Thakur also requested for starting the work immediately on Baddi-Chandigarh railway line as land acquisition work on the side of Himachal Pradesh has been done. This would be helpful in connecting with the Baddi-Amritsar-Kolkata corridor and boost industrial activities in the industrial belt of the state, he said.

Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday urged the Union Government to enhance the disaster fund for Himachal Pradesh as the State is prone to various types of natural disasters due to difficult topographical and climatic conditions.

He was virtually addressing the inauguration function regarding setting up of two Doppler Weather Radar for the State, virtually from New Delhi by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India Dr. Jitendra Singh. These Doppler Weather Radars have been established at Jot in Chamba district and another at Murari Devi in Mandi district of the State.

The CM said that one Doppler Weather Radar was installed at Kufri in Shimla district on 15th January, 2021 and with the commissioning of these additional two radars, about 70 per cent area of the State will be covered for Weather forecast. He said that still about 30 per cent area of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti district will not be covered under these Radars.