Himachal courts quashes appointment of 480 teachers
by IANS
Shimla: In a setback to the previous Prem Kumar Dhumal-led BJP government in the state, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday quashed appointments of 480 teachers made in 2011 as these were not in accordance with law.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Rajiv Sharma said the appointments of postgraduate teachers under the Postgraduate Teacher Class III (non-gazetted) Recruitment and Promotion Rules of 2011, which have not been published, are illegal.

Higher Education director Dinkar Burathoki informed the court that 220 posts were filled by way of direct recruitment and the remaining through promotion after the notification of the Himachal Pradesh Higher Education Class III (nongazetted) Recruitment and Promotion Rules of 2011.

Justice Sharma has directed the state to issue notices to all the teachers appointed for terminating their services within four weeks from the day of judgment. ...more    
04:25 AM, May 25, 2013

HP Cong chief asks party workers to prepare for LS polls Dharamsala: Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh on Sunday asked party workers to start preparations for 2014 Lok Sabha elections, saying they should reach out to people and help solve their grievances. The Congress state chief told party members to work as a unified unit to help achieve desired results in the next Lok Sabha polls. Singh presided over the first meeting of Kangra District Congress Committe in Dharamsala to...  
03:41 AM, May 20, 2013

Transmitter found near China border no threat: Police
by IANS
Shimla: Ending over five months of speculation after the recovery of a wireless transmitter close to India-China border in Himachal Pradesh, the state police on Saturday said it was used by trekkers for communication and posed no security threat. "The equipment found December 4 near Jangi vilage in Kinnaur district by forest officials of Moorang were examined by communication experts and it was revealed that the equipments doesn't pose any...  
05:14 AM, May 19, 2013

Kerala, Himachal to cooperate in rural development
by IANS
Kozhikode: Kerala and Himachal Pradesh on Saturday announced they will strengthen implementation of their rural development projects by sharing information about feasible models and best practices. Ministers and senior government officials from the two Congress-ruled states met here to discuss ongoing projects and ways to enhance cooperation. Kerala's Panchayats and Social Welfare Minister MK Muneer gave details about local self governance in the state, community farming and the Kudumbashree programme...  
05:04 AM, May 19, 2013

Himachal to get five new chief parliamentary secretaries
by IANS
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh will on Monday expand his team with the induction of five chief parliamentary secretaries and one parliamentary secretary, officials said In Shimla. Rohit Thakur, Nand Lal, Jagjivan Pal, Sohan Lal and Rakesh Kalia are likely to be inducted as chief parliamentary secretaries, a government official said on Sunday. The chief minister would administer the oath of office and secrecy to them at a...  
04:27 AM, May 13, 2013

BJP to oppose entry of Walmart into HP, says Satti Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh BJP, which has been opposing FDI in retail, on Saturday said it would not allow foreign stores like Walmart into the state "Foreign chains like Walmart and Metro Cash and Carry will not be allowed to enter Himachal and the interests of small traders will be fully safeguarded," state BJP president Satpal Singh Satti said. He was reacting to Civil Supplies minister GS Bali's announcement to...  
01:53 AM, May 12, 2013

HP: Dhumal criticises cut in special plan assistance Shimla: Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on Friday criticised the state government for cut in special plan assistance in the annual plan for 2013-14. He said the assistance has been reduced from Rs 1,400 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 1,350 crore during 2013-14 which is a cause of concern as it would retard the pace of development. Reacting to the reports regarding cut in special plan assistance,...  
02:15 AM, May 11, 2013

Buzz over Sachin Tendulkar's first match in Dharamsala
by IANS
Dharamsala: God of cricket Sachin Tendulkar's imminent knock in the land of gods has sent the excitement quotient soaring across the boundary. His fans are desperately awaiting his first ever match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association's (HPCA) sole venue, located at an altitude of 4,000 feet above sea level here, May 18 when Mumbai Indians take on Kings XI Punjab. "Most of the tickets for the second IPL match...  
08:31 PM, May 07, 2013

Transparency activist fights social boycott in Himachal
by IANS
Tissa: When a right to information (RTI) activist in Himachal Pradesh exposed misuse of public funds some years back, he did not expect that his fight for truth would expose him and his family to threats and social boycott. Manjur Mohammed, 26, who hails from remote Naila village in the Muslim-dominated Kalhel panchayat of Tissa block of Chamba district, has been facing the wrath of his fellow villagers. "I accessed...  
05:57 AM, May 06, 2013

HP: Zero tolerance towards corruption, says Virbhadra
by IANS
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday said the state would adopt zero tolerance towards corruption. "Anyone found involved in corruption, including government employees, would be dealt with strictly," the chief minister said while laying the foundation stone of a bridge on the Lander rivulet on the Sohari-Chaksarai road in Una district. The bridge will be constructed at a cost of Rs.3 crore. He said the government would...  
05:10 AM, May 03, 2013

Himachal govt announces slew of measures for labourers Shimla: Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday announced to construct four hostels for labourers and increased their medical reimbursement allowance from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per year. "The hostels would be constructed at a cost of Rs 10 crore," Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh announced at May Day rally at Tahliwal in Una on Wednesday. "Labour laws are being strictly implemented, government has taken effective steps to provide better residential accommodation...  
10:59 PM, May 01, 2013

West Bengal bans manufacture, sale of gutka, paan masala Kolkata: Waking up to the threats and consequences of high rate of tobacco consumption in the population, the West Bengal government has imposed a ban on the manufacture, sale of gutka, pan masala or any other product containing tobacco or Nicotine. The ban comes into effect on Wednesday till next one year. Madhya Pradesh took the first step followed by Kerala and Bihar. Maharashtra banned both gutka and pan masala....  
06:06 AM, May 01, 2013

BJP slams HP government for hike in power tariff Shimla: State unit of BJP has criticised the government for steep hike in power tariff, saying it has burdened 18 lakh domestic consumers with over Rs 500 crore. "For the first time, power tariff has been hiked by 70 paise per unit and even domestic consumers have not been spared," party spokesman Ganesh Dutt said. He accused the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) of unilaterally announcing the tariff order without...  
01:15 AM, Apr 29, 2013

Himachal Pradesh: Power tariffs hiked up to 16 per cent Shimla: Power tariffs in Himachal Pradesh have been hiked by up to 16 per cent for all categories, including domestic consumers (except BPL families) with immediate effect. The increase will be reflected in the electricity bill generated for April 2013, State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) announced in its tariff order in Shimla on Saturday. Tariff for domestic users would be hiked by 16 per cent, while industrial and commercial consumers...  
01:30 AM, Apr 28, 2013

Rohtang pass to be opened for vehicular traffic by May Shimla: The Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft), known as gateway to tribal Lahaul and Pangi valleys of Himachal Pradesh, will be opened for vehicular traffic by the first week of May after nearly four months. Snow clearing work on the pass is over and normal vehicular traffic to tribal valleys, which were cut off by road due to snowfall from December last year, will be resumed by first week of May,...  
09:22 PM, Apr 25, 2013

HP to set up panel for timely completion of hydel projects Shimla: To ensure completion of hydro-power projects in time, a committee would be set up that will monitor the ongoing projects and address the problems of delay in getting clearances. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday directed the officials concerned to complete the hydropower projects within time bound to avoid cost escalation. The committee headed by Chief Secretary would be in place soon to supervise and monitor the progress of...  
01:19 AM, Apr 25, 2013

Officials involved in phone-tapping won't be spared: Virbhadra Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday said his government would not wreak political vendetta but would not deviate from the policy of zero tolerance towards corruption. Speaking at the convention of the district Shimla Congress Committee in Shimla, the chief minister accused the previous BJP government of having breached the democratic rights, especially the right to privacy of common man by illegally tapping their phones and warned...  
02:27 AM, Apr 18, 2013

3.9 magnitude earthquake hits Himachal Pradesh New Delhi: A mild tremor shook Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday morning, MeT officials said. The quake measuring 3.9 magnitude on the Richter Scale was felt at 8:32 am and was epicentred at Chamba, Met department said. There was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property, they said. ...  
01:50 PM, Apr 17, 2013

Himachal Pradesh: Twelve dead in road accident
by IANS
Shimla: Twelve people, some of them children, were killed in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a 700-metre-deep gorge while they were on their way back from playing a cricket match, police said on Monday. The accident took place on Sunday night. The victims were all between 11 and 25 years old. They died on the spot and their bodies were recovered...  
10:51 AM, Apr 15, 2013

CAG finds revenue loss of Rs 1,569.41 crore in Himachal Shimla: Government auditor CAG has found revenue loss of Rs 1,569.41 crore in Himachal Pradesh due to under assessment and short levy during financial year 2011-12. There has also been an increase of 13 per cent in revenue collections in 2011-2012 and the state also received Rs 1,998.37 crore as its share of divisible union taxes, the Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG's) report tabled in the Vidhan Sabha by Chief...  
12:38 AM, Apr 10, 2013