HIMACHAL PRADESH

FCI buys 30 pc more wheat in Himachal this year

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The wheat procurement in the state has surpassed the last years level by 30 per cent. Four new centres have been opened to purchase wheat from farmers after strict restrictions were announced by Punjab and Haryana in the wake of the Covid pandemic.

Around 4,500 MT of wheat has been procured against the total of 3,100 MT last year. The procurement will continue for one month.

The (Fci) has procured wheat for Rs 1,975 per quintal, benefiting 1,124 farmers.

As the total production of wheat during 2021-22 is expected around 6.72 lakh MT, eight procurement centres have been opened.

The centres are opened in Paonta Sahib and Kala Amb (Sirmaur), Kanger and Takrala (Una), Fatehpur and Thakurdwara (Kangra) Nalagarh (Solan) and Patta (Bilaspur) from farmers, who were unable to sell their produce in the neighbouring states.

Wheat produced in the Paonta valley is known for its quality but the farmers were either dependent on middlemen or travelled to the markets in Punjab and Haryana to sell their produce at throwaway prices.

Kangra to have 100 early landslide warning systems

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The District Administration of Kangra has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IIT Mandi for development of satellite-based subsidence system profile for Kangra district and its adjoining areas. The system would act as an early warning system (EWS) for landslides. It is for the first time that such a system would be developed in the state.

Deputy Commissioner Kangra, Nipun Jindal said that 100 landslide monitoring and early warning systems would be deployed at certain sites based on analysis to be conducted for landslide vulnerability. As per the MoU, it would be the mandate of the IIT Mandi to develop machines for predicting landslides that can act as early warning systems, he said.

Fee regulation Bill unjust: Himachal pvt schools

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The Himachal Pradesh Private Schools (Regulation of Fee and other Related Matters) Bill, 2021 is unconstitutional and unjutst as it deprives the school managements of a chance to seek from courts, said Dev Raj Verma, president of the Private Schools Management Association, here today.

Verma said that the private schools charged a monthly fee of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500 per student while the government was spending over Rs 6,000 on every student but still the private schools performed better than the government schools. If the Bill was passed, a large number of teachers of the private schools would lose their jobs and students would lose the opportunity of better Education, he added.

He said that it was unfair to have only one representative of the private schools in the six-member committee. He added that the Bill proposed only a six per cent annual hike in the fee while the Inflation rate was higher than it.

8.82 lakh unemployed in Himachal Pradesh, job creation a challenge for govt in poll year

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As per the figures cited by the Industries and Labour Department, the number of youth registered in EMPLOYMENT exchanges across the state stands at 8,82,269. In reality, the count would be much higher as there would be many who havent got themselves enrolled for jobs. The Congress puts the figure at 14 lakh. Successive governments, both of the BJP and Congress, have tried to provide succour to the huge contingent of unemployed youth by announcing an Unemployment allowance. It was the late Virbhadra Singh who first announced unemployment allowance of Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 for the differently abled, subject to certain eligibility criteria, just before the 2017 Assembly poll. The BJP government too continued with the practice. It has provided this allowance to 76,855 youth in the last three years, indicating that the benefit goes to just a small segment. With limited job avenues in the government sector and the near-absence of in most parts of the state, barring the border districts of Kangra, Solan, Una and Sirmour, unemployment remains the most crucial issue. The outbreak of Covid pandemic hasmade the situation more grim. Thousands of youth have returned Home from other states. There is no denying that it is next to impossible for the State Government to provide jobs to all. Efforts have been made to attract big Investment. Over 40 industrial units have closed down while many others have been compelled to put on hold their expansion plans over the last two years.

The tourism sector which could have helped provide jobs is probably the worst-hit with people avoiding holidays and only undertaking compulsory travel. As such, the jobless educated youth of the state is staring at limited avenues in Himachal and not seeing a change in the situation in the immediate future.

Himachal: Bill passed for raising deficit up to 6 per cent this fiscal

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The Himachal Pradesh Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Himachal Pradesh Goods and Service Tax (Amendment) Bill 2023 were passed with a voice vote in the House on the third day of the Winter Session. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had tabled the Bills in the House.

The Himachal Pradesh Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill 2023 aims at maintaining a of 6 per cent or less of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2022-23. It also keeps 3.5 per cent fiscal deficit of the GSDP for the next two financial years (2023-24 and 2024-25). Thereafter, a fiscal deficit of 3 per cent of the GSDP shall be maintained.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said that the Bill had become necessary due to excessive borrowing done by the previous BJP government. He added that the current debt of the state stood at Rs 74,622 crore. In the past five years, the debt burden had increased by Rs 26,716 crore, he added.

The Bill also states that the interest free loan for 50 years to states under the scheme of special assistance for Capital Expenditure for financing Infrastructure projects shall be allowed over and above all limits specified.

The Himachal Pradesh Goods and Service Tax (Amendment) Bill 2023 aims at merging all indirect taxes of the state and Central governments, as per the amendments affected by the Centre under the Finance Act 2022 on the recommendations of the GST Council.

Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur applauded the collaborative efforts of the people of the state as Shimla city has been placed on top in the country in Urban Development Goals Index 2021-22 released by NITI Aayog. Congratulating the people of the state, Thakur said that NITI Aayog has included 56 cities which include 44 cities having population of more than 10 lakh and capitals of 12 states with population of less than 10 lakhs.

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He said that this list has been prepared keeping in view the performance of cities under categories such as POVERTY, Health, Education, gender , affordable and clean energy and Climate action. 46 targets and 77 indicators were fixed for the evaluation of this ranking and Shimla city has got the best position with 75.50 marks out of 100, he said.

Thakur further said that although most of the Population of the country resides in villages, cities also play an important role in the development of the country. Therefore, NITI Aayog under the Indo-German Development Corporation, in collaboration with GIZ and BMZ have developed a dashboard for the latest information regarding the Sustainable Development Goals Urban Index, he added.

Frame policy for inauguration of small projects: HC to Himachal government

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The HP has asked the State Government to consider framing a policy for the inauguration of small projects, the cost of which is not very high and which are comparatively not of much public importance. It has said that such projects need not be inaugurated and instead may be put to public use immediately on the completion of the construction work to save unnecessary expenses.

While passing the order, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Sabina said, In our considered view, it is essentially a policy matter, and the government ought to consider framing a policy.

The High Court said that the government may also consider to allow the pradhans or up-pradhans of gram panchayats to inaugurate projects of up to a particular value.

Over 3K street vendors given loan in Himachal: Minister Suresh Bhardwaj

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Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said here today that more than 3,000 people had been given collateral-free loans worth Rs 3 crore under the PM Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi.

The state has 5,790 street vendors registered with the department of which more than 3,000 have benefited by this scheme, he said. Bhardwaj said the councillors and officials concerned would reach out to street vendors to make them aware of the scheme.

The minister directed officers of the Urban Development Department to communicate with banks to dispose of the pending cases. The scheme aimed to provide WORKING CAPITAL loans up to Rs 10,000 at a subsidised rate of interest for one year.

Unmesh: Himachal Pradesh International literary festival

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A three-day international literary festival called Unmesh was held at Gaiety Theatre in Shimla. It was officially started, on June 16, 2022; by Union Minister of State for Culture, Arjun Ram Mehjawal.

Unmesh Festival is bringing together around 425 writers, poets, critics, translators, and notable figures from 15 countries, representing more than 60 languages.

During the festival, more than 1,000 books relevant to the civil rights movement have been put on display.

Unmesh is a celebration of expression. This festival is Indias largest international literary festival till date.

The Unmesh Festival is being organised by Union Ministry of Culture and , in association with the Department of Art and Culture of Himachal Pradesh government. It is being organised as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Efforts on to make Himachal natural farming state

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The is promoting natural farming in a big way so as to double the income of the farmers by end of 2022, said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while addressing the National Webinar on Realization of Mission Natural Farming among Smallholders.

Thakur said to promote natural farming in the state, the government was implementing the Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana. He said that this would not only boost the yield of the crops but also reduce farming inputs. He said that Subhash Palekar Natural Farming was emerging as favourite for agricultural practices to reduce farmers direct cost while boosting the yield and farm Health through the use of non-synthetic inputs sourced locally.

He said 9.61 lakh farmers of the state were being encouraged to adopt natural farming so that Himachal could become a natural farming state of the country. As many as 1.28 lakh farmers have already been trained in natural farming and were motivating others to adopt the same.

The CM said the land holdings in the state were limited and most of the farmers fall under small and marginal categories. Natural farming not only gave a better yield but also fetched a good price to farmers. He said that the government was also endeavoring to evolve a mechanism for the certification of natural products so that they could fetch better prices.