Sunday, 29 September 2013

August 2013 Himachal Current Affair

Aug 1, 2013
Peter d’Souza leaves IIAS
Prof Chetan Singh, who has been associated with the IIAS as the editor, has taken over as acting Director in his place.
DGP Kamal Kumar retires

Harinder Singh elected APMC chairman
Former president of the Sundernagar Municipal Council, Harinder Singh, was elected chairman of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Mandi
Kasauli research institute to certify yellow fever vaccines
KK Katoch is Palampur farm varsity VC
Earthquake zone turns into concrete jungle
Palampur, July 30
Despite the fact that the entire Dhauladhar ranges in the Kangra valley falls among the most sensitive earthquake-prone areas of the country (Zone V), the state government is yet to regulate large-scale illegal construction going on here. 



Aug 3, 2013
CM inaugurates data centre of cooperative bank
Shimla, August 2
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh inaugurated an "ultra-modern" data centre of Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank (HPSCB) at the Training Institute of the bank at Shangti-Summerhill, here today.

Chief Justice AM Khanwilkar

Ram Lal Thakur, chairman of the HP state Planning Development and 20- Point Programme Implementation Committee

Forests and Fisheries Minister Thakur Singh Bharmauri

Kaul Singh Thakur, Revenue minister.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister GS Bali

Governor of Nagaland and Manipur Ashwani Kumar interacted with newly enrolled students at the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) at Shahpur.

                     Now grow Shitake mushroom on willow sawdust
Solan, August 30
The Shitake mushroom, an integral ingredient of medicines used for treating cancer and valued for its long shelf life, has been successfully grown on wood of clones of willow wood by a private entrepreneur


Aug 4, 2013
Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu

American strawberries to boost output
The declining strawberry cultivation in the state might finally pick up with the import of high-yielding varieties from California and Miami by Edge India Agrotech, which will set up the biggest nursery with five lakh saplings in the state. The company will also provide a buy-back arrangement to overcome marketing problems faced by growers.
The total area under strawberry cultivation in the state is a mere 54 hectares with a production of 348 metric tonnes. Incidentally, it is Sirmour district which is producing 99 per cent of the strawberries at 342 metric tonnes.
We will be importing the two most suitable varieties of Albion and Whitney from California so that the quality and yield of strawberry increases


Aug 5, 2013
State seeks better share in Central taxes

Dharamsala, August 4
State Principal Accountant General Satish Loomba will make a presentation before the 14th Central Finance Commission regarding the financial state of Himachal Pradesh in Delhi on Monday.

Sources here said the presentation assumed significance as the Finance Commission would arrive in Shimla on August 12 and during its visit, the state government would present its case for better share in Central taxes.
Loomba said he would provide an overview of the financial condition of the state before the commission and suggest measures through which it could be improved. The commission has been constituted by the Central Government under the Chairmanship of YV Reddy, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. The commission recommends the principals governing the distribution of finances between the Centre and the states.
The revenue collection in the state had shown a marked improvement in 2011-12. However, in the current financial year, it is showing a downward trend. The VAT collections in the state have gone down alarmingly as per reports. The fiscal deficit of the state has increased. Out of the total resources generated by the state government, about 66 per cent are committed liabilities, including salaries and pensions. The pension liability of the state government is increasing. The subsidy burden of the state is also slated to increase.
The sources said the Principal Accountant General would suggest measures on increasing the non-tax revenue in the state. The non-tax revenue could be generated from forests, mining and irrigation taxes.
The condition of the municipals councils and corporations in the state also find a special mention in Loomba's report. Most of the councils and corporations are spending most of their revenue in paying the salaries of the staff and hardly anything is being left for development purposes.
Loomba will give the Finance Commission an overview of major areas of expenditure in various sectors of the state government and an assessment of the performance of the state public enterprises, local bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions.

                    8-day Minjar Fair concludes
Chamba, August 4
The immersion of golden "minjars" (top blossoms of the maize plant)with coconuts into the Ravi by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh heralded the end of the eight-day International Minjar Fair amid the performance of religious ceremonies here today.


Speaker Brij Behari Lal

Nagni fair celebrated with religious fervour

Nurpur, August 4
The historical Nagni fair was celebrated at the Nagni Mata temple, near here, yesterday, with religious fervour.




Aug 7, 2013

Villagers up in arms against Jispa Dam

Jispa (Lahaul-Spiti), August 6
Villagers of three gram panchayats in the Jispa valley have said they will never allow the 300-MW Jispa Dam on the Bhaga river, which has been declared a project of national importance by the Central Government as it is being executed as part of the Indus Water Treaty. The dam will displace 74 families, submerge their land and dry up water springs.


Shravan Navratra begins at Naina Devi

Bilaspur, August 6
The famous Shravan Ashtami Navratra fair began at the hill top shrine of Mata Naina Devi today. The fair would continue till August 16.


No flood worry for Himachal from Chinese lake: Experts
Parechu Lake (in Tibet)
The Parechu river, a tributary of the Spiti river, originates in Tibet and joins the Spiti river at Sumdoh, 350 km from here, in Kinnaur district.
The Spiti river is the major tributary of the Satluj river basin. It joins the Satluj at Khab, also in Kinnaur district. The sudden increase in the outflow in the Parechu river posed a grave threat to life and property on the Indian side.



Aug 9, 2013

Move to cultivate saffron in state

Shimla, August 9
Cultivation of the golden herb saffron will be possible in the state with excellence in the field of plant science. Himachal Pradesh can become the second saffron-producing state, after Jammu and Kashmir, with grasslands in the Mashobra and Kasumpti area to be covered under the plant which can change the economy of the area




Aug 10, 2013

Bara Shigri glacier in the Lahaul-Spiti valley

National seminar on Indian languages from today

Shimla, August 10
The Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) here is organising a four-day national seminar on “Waves in Silent Pool: Literatures of the Modern Indian Languages” from tomorrow. 




Aug 15, 2013

97th amendment to the Constitution is with respect to cooperative bodies in the state

Floral tributes paid to Sardar Ajit Singh
Dalhousie, August 14
Residents of the hill town remembered
freedom fighter Sardar Ajit Singh, a well-known icon of “Pagri Sambal Jatta Movement” and mentor and uncle of Sardar Bhagat Singh, by paying rich tributes on his 67th anniversary at his samadhi at Panchpula in the town today.




Aug 17, 2013

Skill development programme to help provide jobs
The Skill Development Scheme launched by the government to enhance employability will benefit 83,000 youth during the current year. The programme started to generate trained manpower required by various sectors in the state will entail an expenditure of Rs 500 crore over five years. The emphasis of the programme is on skill development of youth so as to provide them better employment and self-employment opportunities.
Under the scheme, eligible educated youth in the age group of 18-35 years will be provided Rs 1,000 per month as skill development allowance for a period of 2 years. Persons with 50 per cent or more disability will get an allowance of Rs 1,500 per month. Any unemployed bona fide Himachali, who has passed matriculation, can avail the benefit under the scheme, provided his name is registered with the employment exchange in the state as on the date of application. Besides, his income from all sources should not exceed Rs 2 lakh per annum.

NSUI dominates HPU polls
The National Students Union of India (NSUI), the students wing of the Congress, dominated the elections to the Students Central Association in the state, bagging a majority of the seats in Shimla, Kangra, Una, Solan, Lahaul-Spiti and Sirmour districts. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), associated with the BJP, led in Mandi and Kullu districts, while the Student Federation of India (SFI) emerged victorious in the Hamirpur district.

CM launches website for Pre-World Cup Paragliding
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh here today launched a website for the Pre-World Cup Paragliding Championship-2013 to be held from October 24 to 30 at Bir-Billing in Kangra. He said it was a matter of pride that the Paragliding World Cup Association had given approval to organise the paragliding championship in India for which the government would extend all assistance.
The Bir-Billing site in the Dhauladhar ranges had emerged as one of the top five paragliding sites in the world. It started with hang-gliding introduced in 1984 by Israeli Pilots at the site and thereafter, it was replaced by paragliding in 1992 by French pilots.

Book on Hindi literature released
Former Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha member Shanta Kumar today released a book, ‘Hindi Sahitya Ka Itihaas’, authored by renowned Hindi writers Sushil Kumar Phull and Ashu Jethi Phull today.

Eight-day Nalwar Fair - Mandi District During this eight-day fair, a large number of cattle brought here from various parts of Mandi district is either sold or exchanged



Aug 18, 2013
Pea crop rots in Lahaul-Spiti village
The pea crop is rotting in Miyar and Naingar valleys in Udaipur sub-division and the Pin valley in Spiti sub-division

The Charan rivulet that passed through Dharamsala has a history of sudden surges in water levels due to cloudbursts. The water level in the Charan khad and the Bhagsu waterfall area rises suddenly due to heavy rain in the Triund region.


The state-run 126-MW Larji power project – Mandi


Aug 20, 2013
International Centre for Human Development opens at IIASThe Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) today took a big stride on road to becoming a “global knowledge centre” with the inauguration of the International Centre for Human Development (IC4HD)


Aug 21, 2013
Government fixes 2,000 MW target for current year
The state government has fixed a target of commissioning projects with aggregate capacity of over 2,000 MW during the current financial year. The major power project, expected to start generation during the year include 520 MW Parbati, 24 MW Kut, 800 MW Kol Dam, 400 MW Ramur, 65 MW Kashang-I, 10 MW Ghanavi-II, 16 MW Jogni, 8 MW Kurmi, 9 MW Parala, 6 MW Daned, 11 MW Tangun-II and 24 MW Bada Gaon within 2013. Some more projects like 25 MW Lamadug , 9 MW Fuzal, 9 MW Brua and 14 MW Nanti will be completed by March 2014.
The state has an identified hydropower potential of 27,436 MW and it is giving utmost priority to run-off-the-river projects. The latest assessment reveals that Satluj basin has the maximum potential of 13,331 MW, up from 10391 MW. In all, 8,418 MW has been harnessed so far and projects of 4243 MW capacity were being executed through different agencies while project with aggregate an capacity of 2,982 MW were awaiting clearances.

Child marriages still prevalent in Himachal, admits govt
Himachal Pradesh has failed to root out the social problem of child marriage, with 15 reported from five panchayats alone in Sirmaur, one of state's backward districts, from December 2007 to November 2011, the government has admitted.
The customary practice of "Har chali gayi" or "girl went to her in-law's house" is quite prevalent there.
Under this practice, during fairs and festivals, commonly in January, relatives and near and dear ones visit each other's houses and stay as guests.

Hamirpur was established by Raja Hamir Chand (1700-1740) from the Katoch dynasty. He was son of Alam Chand who ruled for a short period of three years from 1697 to 1700.

Aug 27, 2013

Tourism Dept to convert Bantony heritage building into museum
The Tourism Department will acquire the heritage building, Bantony, the palace of Maharaja of Sirmaur, here on the Mall to convert it into a city museum by acquiring the main structure and the vast expanse of land around it.
New Zealand apple industry keen to collaborate with state
The New Zealand apple industry is keen for collaboration with the hill state both at the level of growers and institutions to bring about qualitative and quantitative improvement in the indigenous fruit.
The average production in New Zealand is 56 tonne per hectare whereas it is 8 to 9 tonne per hectare in Himachal. Unlike Himachal, apple is grown on flat land in our country but the yield could be easily increased to 20 to 30 tonne per hectare,”




Aug 28, 2013
Kangra paintings
Ram Gopal temple located in the Damtal area of Kangra district is located in an old fort associated with the rulers of former Nurpur state. he walls of the temple have famous Kangra-style miniature wall painting frescos. The paintings are historic as they display Rajput warriors fighting in local wars and durbars of local kings. Kangra paintings flourished during the times of the famous ruler of Kangra, Sansar Chand Katoch. The artists practising Kangra paintings use local material like stones and leaves of local trees for producing colours. They also use a slight amount of gold and locally produced poison for long life of paintings. Generally the Kangra paintings are used to depict the gods as Radha Krishna or the local rulers during their war campaigns and durbars of local rulers

The seven-member team of students of Lawrence School, Sanawar, who had successfully scaled Mount Everest on May 21 and had set a record of being the youngest team to conquer the world’s tallest peak met President Pranab Mukherjee

The much-publicised cement plant to be set up at Baroh-Sikridhar hills in Churah subdivision of Chamba district .

The 74-year-old Tandon Club, Kangra, located in the heart of the town and spread over nearly three kanals of land, the foundation stone of which was laid on April 3,1939, by the then Deputy Commissioner BR Tandon

People of Dalhousie town remembered the great revolutionary titan freedom fighter, Sardar Ajit Singh, a well known icon of “Pagri Sambal Jatta Movement” - the mentor and uncle of great martyr Sardar Bhagat Singh. They paid a rich tribute at his "Samadhi Sthal" at Panchpula in Dalhousie hills.
Sardar Ajit Singh (2 February 1881-15 August 1947) was born in Khatkar Kalan village, district Jalandhar (now Nawanshahr district) in a military family from Punjab in India.
He resented the high-handedness of the British rule and openly criticised the British Government. He was declared a political rebel and had to spend many years of his life in jails or in exile from India.

I bow to thee! Glorious Mother India
Vinod Kumar Lakhanpal who retired in 1996 as Joint Director from the State Information and Public Relations Department
His book ‘Bhartiya Swatantrata Sangharsh-1757-1947’ (BSS) published in 2009 from Samaj Dharm Prakashan, Mehatpur, Una, accomplishes his mission.
Vinod’s father first. He was Baldev Mitra ‘Bijli’, also a member of the Revolutionary Party in Punjab and Editor of Urdu weekly ‘Karak’ in 1929.
1846-49: Wazir Ram Singh Pathania of Nurpur was fighting against the British forces and ran to safety to Kangra from the battle-field at ‘Kummani-ka-Pel’ on January 16, 1849, when he found that his army was encircled on three sides by the British. While doing Pooja in Kangra, he was trapped and surrendered but not before he killed a few British soldiers hitting them with utensils used in Pooja. He was sent to Rangoon Jail where he died on November 11, 1849.
1895: Chamba was not under the rule of the British. Here the Raja was stifling the popular voice through his Wazir Gobindu. The farmers were made to do ‘begar’ (free service); they protested against it. The protesters from Balhana village in Sihunta were Larza, Billu and others. Larza was brought to Chamba, tied to a pole, made to stand naked, then Raja Sham Singh ordered to cane him. He was caned 144 times but he remained stuck to his stand. The matter was solved through British counsel.
1909: Raja Bhawani Sen of Mandi was completely under the influence of Wazir Jivanand Padha. Padha was synonym for corruption and fraud. A youth, Shobha Ram, from Gadhiyani village of Sarkaghat raised his voice against this corruption. Raja did not pay any heed to it. Shobha moved to Mandi with 20,000 farmers, put the tehsildar and other officers in jail. A common saying in Mandi then was ‘Bhawani Singh rules; Shobha Ram dictates’. The British interference ended the dispute.

'Curfew' brings out superficiality in relationships
The play "Curfew" staged by the Shimla-based Vasudha Art and Culture Society (VACS) at the Gaiety Theatre successfully brought out the superficiality in relationships which binds the man and the woman in the traditional marriage.
Directed by Devender Sharma, who also played the male lead, the play focused on the constraints imposed by the traditional marriage, which turns strangers into life partners.
Aug 29, 2013
Shimla, August 29
Awaiting allotment of a temporary accommodation to shift out its office, the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) has urged the government to defer the Rs 4-crore restoration and conservation project of the historic Town Hall Building, which is housing its office, and let work on the beautification of the Mall project begin first.

Aug 31, 2013
25% apartments reserved for Himachalis
The Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1977, was amended in the Assembly today to ensure that 25 per cent plots and houses being sold by government or private colonisers were reserved for bona fide Himachalis and economically weaker sections of society.
Sanjay Kumar takes over as DGP


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