HIMACHAL PRADESH

GSTcollection in the first six months of the currentfinancial yearhas grown by 28% inHimachal Pradesh. For the month of September, the state has registered an increase of 18% with the collection of Rs 386 crore, while the GST collections in the first six months of the current financial year has reached Rs 2,641 crore.

Himachals Commissioner ofState Taxes and Excise Yunussaid that the collections have maintained a handsome Growth trajectory so far in the current financial year as a result of various policy and administrative measures taken by the department to improve taxpayer compliances.

He said that continuous improvement in return filing, speedy scrutiny of returns, timely completion of GST audits and strengthened enforcement continue to be the focus areas for the department

The offers distinct advantages to the investors such as affordable land cost, high quality and reliable power supply, proactive and accessible administration, he said adding that some investors had evinced interest in setting up ethanol units.

As a new trend in the state, few entrepreneurs have also shown intent in developing private industrial areas and theme parks in Himachal. The state Government has already made provision of incentives and concessions in the HP Industrial Investment Policy 2019 for setting up of private industrial areas and theme parks.

They have little access to online TEACHING and are lagging behind others. A maximum number of 5,314 students (Class VI to XII) are without smartphones in the backward district of Chamba, followed by Mandi (2,723), Una (2,251) Sirmaur (1,838), Hamirpur (1,698), Kullu (1,560), Shimla (1,355), Kangra (1,047), Kinnaur (548), Solan (310), Bilaspur (185) and Lahaul and Spiti (95).

Even 225 schools have no or poor Internet connectivity and 46 such schools are in Sirmaur district, followed by Kullu (45), Lahaul and Spiti (23), Chamba and Una (19 each), Mandi (18), Bilaspur (17), Hamirpur (15), Kangra (12), Kinnaur and Solan (5 each) and Shimla (1).

TheHimachal Pradeshgovernment has constituted a cabinet subcommittee to look into the claims of the state on its “share” inBBMBprojects and the union territory of Chandigarh as envisaged under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, and other inter-state agreements.

Punjab and Haryana are already annoyed with the state’s decision to impose water cess and now, this development can further make the ties bitter. The demand to stake a claim on 7.19% share as per the provisions of the reorganisation act was being raised for last several decades, but this is for the first time when a cabinet subcommittee has been formed by theHimachalgovernment.

The cabinet sub-panel will be headed by Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture minister Chander Kumar, while industries ministerHarshwardhan Chauhanand revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi would be the members, and secretary (MPP and power) will be the member secretary.

As per the Punjab Reorganisation Act, Himachal Pradesh has 7.19% share in projects under BBMB, that includes Dehar, Pong dam and Bhakra projects, from where power and water is supplied to other states. The stand of Himachal Pradesh is that under the 1966 act, it has its share in Chandigarh too, like Punjab and Haryana.

Previous state governments, though, used to raise the issue from time to time, but no concrete steps were ever taken to stake the claim.

Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur, launched the Naari ko Naman Scheme, for Women of the state.

This scheme has been launched, in line with an announcement made before state assembly .

Himachal Pradesh government has announced to give 50% DISCOUNT in ticket prices to women in State Government buses.

Thus, bus tickets will now be available for women at half the cost.

Under the scheme, Himachal Pradesh government will spend Rs 60 crore annually to provide 50% discount on ticket prices to women in state. As per estimate, 1.25 lakh women travel in HRTC buses every day.

In a first, the farmers ofHimachal Pradeshs one of the two aspirational districts Chamba will cultivate asafoetida, commonly known as heeng, at higher reaches in Holi and Bharmaur regions of the district giving an alternate to farmers to diversify from the traditional crops and multiply their income.

The seedlings were prepared through either Tissue Culture or direct sowing of seeds and farmers were given a year-old Plants.
Chamba along with Sirmour have been tagged as aspirational districts by the central government.
The aspirational districts are considered backward on various parameters, including Education, Health, woman and child welfare and Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today launched the Himcare scheme for jail inmates by providing Himcare cards to the prisoners at the Model Central Jail, Kanda, here.

He also presided over the launch of the Integrated STI, HIV, TB, Hepatitis (ISHTH) campaign in prisons and other closed settings at the Kanda jail. The registration of inmates under the scheme has been initiated and the will cover the cost of premium for jail inmates, he said.

Plans were underway to introduce a scheme aimed at educating the children residing in Bal Sudhar Grih of the state, he added.

He said the ISHTH campaign aimed at screening and treating 3,218 inmates of 14 jails in the state and 1,278 inmates of juvenile homes, nari niketan and drug rehabilitation centres. The exercise would be completed across the state by June 14.

The Central Government has enhanced the liquid Oxygen quota of Himachal from 15 metric tonnes (MT) to 30 MT following a request by the .

As many as 2,100 patients in the state were on oxygen support till last evening and their number is rising with the increase in Covid cases on a daily basis, said state coordinator for oxygen Arindam Chaudhary.

The state has six pressure swing adsorption Plants at Shimla, Kangra, Mandi, Tanda, Chamba and Mandi

Eight private producers are also providing medical oxygen to the state

Himachal Pradesh Government is all set to collaborate with the Union Government on the Aroma Mission a lavender cultivation initiative that has proven to be a boon for farmers in Jammu and Kashmir.

With the climatic conditions of several regions in Himachal Pradesh, including Chamba, being similar to those of Jammu and Kashmir, the aims to replicate the success of this initiative in the hill state in a big way. This initiative will boost the economy of farmers as well as the State in a big way.

The State Government is planning to adopt modern scientific methods of farming by replacing traditional practices. To accomplish this, the State Government is seeking technical support from the Union Government.

The Centre would also organize orientation programs, training camps, and provide technical support to farmers and horticulturists of the State, enabling them to familiarize themselves with new innovative technologies in the farming sector, improve the quality of their produce and generate more income.

Lavender cultivation, also known as the purple revolution, could prove to be a lucrative option for the farmers of the State, thereby transforming their lives.

Himachal chief ministerJai Ram Thakuron Friday presented an Rs 51,365-crore budget for the financial year 2022-23.

In the election year, the chief minister has tried to woo every section of Society by making some announcements for them.

The budget for 2022-23 does not propose new taxes.
Honorarium of , village panchayats, zila parishad, panchayat samitis, anganwari workers and asha workers has been increased.

The social security pension amount has been increased and old age pension age limit has been decreased to 60 years. The budget includes 30,000 new jobs in 2022-23.

He said according to budget estimates, the total Revenue Receipts are expected to be Rs 36,375 crore and Revenue Expenditure is estimated at Rs 40,278 crore, with Revenue Deficit estimated to be Rs 3,903 crore.
The Fiscal Deficit is expected to be Rs 9,602 crore which is 4.98% of the states GDP.
According to the 2022-23 budget, out of every Rs 100, Rs 26 will be spent on salary, Rs 15 on pension, Rs 10 on interest payments, Rs 11 on loan repayments, Rs 9 for grants for autonomous bodies and remaining Rs 29 will be spent on other activities including capital works.

The CM said the state witnessed weak Health Infrastructure during the pandemic but the government faced all the problems.

He said the states health infrastructure was developed rapidly which helped Himachal Pradesh in fighting second and third waves of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the state had only two Oxygen Plants before the pandemic but now it has 48 plants and more than 5,000 oxygen concentrators.

He said it is matter of pride for Himachal Pradesh that Russian vaccine Sputnik is being produced commercially in the state.

He said the State Government has written a development story in the last four years despite many challenges.

The CM said that his government has tried to help each section of society through Ujjwala, PM Kisan Samman, Ayushman Bharat, Himcare, Sahara, Janmanch and many other schemes.
Thakur said that the Centre gave Rs 600 crore extra help to the state during 2021-22 for capital Investment and the Money is being spent to complete important projects.
The increase in capital investment has not only strengthened the state financially but also created many jobs.

He said the GDP in 2021-22 is expected to be 9.2% while the state had witnessed a negative Growth of 7.3% in 2020-21.

The Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture has witnessed growth of 3.9%, Industry 11.8% and service sector by 8.2% in 2021-22.

The economy of the state is expected to have a growth of 8.3per cent in 2021-22. He said such a growth despite pandemic is an achievement of the government.

The GSDP in the year 2021-22 is estimated at 1,75,173 crore and per capita income at is estimated at 2,01,854 which is more than the estimated national per capita income by Rs 51,528.

The CM said there is a provision of opening a single nodal agency account for all the Centre-funded projects so that all funds are released to the concerned departments accounts. All 91 projects of the Centre in Himachal are brought under purview of this scheme.
He said that Rs 12,921 crore outlay has been proposed for 2022-23, of which state development budget outlay will be Rs 9,534 crore and Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and OBC development outlay will be Rs 2,400 crore, Rs 865 crore and Rs 152 crore respectively.