Video CD in circulation against Himachal Congress leader
by IANS
Shimla: A video CD portraying a senior Congress leader from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi with a woman is in circulation in the district ahead of the Mandi Lok Sabha by-poll June 23, police officials said on Friday, adding a case will be filed.

"We have received a complaint on circulation of a CD. We are going to register an FIR (first information report)," said a senior police official.

Sources said the authenticity of the video CD is questionable.

They said the issue was brought to the notice of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, following which it was decided to register a case and hand over the probe to the state CID....more    
05:10 AM, Jun 15, 2013

ACB likely to submit report on phone tapping on Saturday Shimla: The Himachal Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau is expected to submit its report On Saturday in the phone tapping case during the previous BJP government. "The probe has been completed and final report is being prepared for submitting it to the government," highly placed sources said. Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau was entrusted the probe in March and related documents which included the list of the telephone numbers retrieved by the...  
01:36 AM, Jun 15, 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

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

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

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

Ruckus in Himachal assembly over state budget
by IANS
The BJP on Thursday created a ruckus in the Himachal Pradesh assembly, expressing dissatisfaction over the chief minister's reply to a discussion on the 2013-14 state budget. ...  
04:15 AM, Mar 22, 2013

Himachal to cut 'wasteful expenditure' to fix loan liability
by IANS
Himachal Pradesh's loan liability by the end of this fiscal (2012-13) is likely to be over Rs.28,513 crore, and the government plans to fix it by cutting "wasteful expenditure", Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has said. "We will improve the financial health of the state by cutting wasteful expenditure," the chief minister told IANS. ...  
05:09 AM, Mar 18, 2013

Over 1,000 phones tapped during BJP rule in Himachal
by IANS
Another report into illegal phone tapping, allegedly by the previous BJP government in Himachal Pradesh, on Friday said 350 telephone calls were recorded. These phone calls were mostly of politicians and bureaucrats. ...  
07:10 AM, Mar 02, 2013

Himachal seeks rail links to industrial hub Baddi
by IANS
Himachal Pradesh has demanded setting up of new rail projects, especially in its industrial belt of Baddi-Barotiwala, besides expediting ongoing rail projects, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said in Shimla on Monday. ...  
06:29 PM, Feb 18, 2013

'750 phone conversations tapped in Himachal during BJP govt'
by IANS
An inquiry report into phone tapping by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government (BJP) in Himachal Pradesh, in violation of the Indian Telegraph Act, Friday said around 750 telephonic conversations, mainly of politicians and bureaucrats, were recorded. The report, prepared by State Forensic Science Laboratory in Junga near Shimla, has been submitted to the government. ...  
08:32 AM, Feb 16, 2013

Dhumal regime decisions to be reviewed: Himachal govt
by IANS
The newly-constituted Congress government in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday said all the decisions taken by the previous BJP government in the past six months would be reviewed. ...  
04:27 AM, Dec 26, 2012

Virbhadra takes oath as Himachal Pradesh CM
by IANS
Veteran Congress politician Virbhadra Singh was sworn in as Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister for a record sixth term in Shimla on Tuesday. Governor Urmila Singh administered the oath of office to the septuagenarian, who has been chief minister for more than 16 years, at the historic Ridge in Shimla. ...  
12:12 PM, Dec 25, 2012

Old war horse Virbhadra Singh is CM for 6th time An old war horse, who could not be put down by allegations of corruption or infighting in the Congress, Virbhadra Singh steered the party back to power in Himachal Pradesh with a spirited campaign this time. The seventy-eight-year-old veteran became chief minister of the state for the sixth time, setting a record. ...  
01:21 AM, Dec 25, 2012

Virbhadra Singh acquitted of corruption charges In a major relief to Himachal Chief Minister-designate Virbhadra Singh, a court in Shimla on Monday acquitted him of charges of corruption and conspiracy in the much-publicised audio CD case, a day before his swearing in for the office for a record sixth time. ...  
07:17 PM, Dec 24, 2012

Virbhadra Singh named next Himachal chief minister
by IANS
Virbhadra Singh will be the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, a senior Congress leader announced in Shimla on Saturday. This will be his sixth term in the post. ...  
11:33 PM, Dec 22, 2012

Himachal Congress to elect chief minister today
by IANS
Shimla/New Delhi: The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) will meet Saturday to elect Himachal Pradesh's next chief minister in the presence of three central observers, party sources said on Friday. "The CLP will meet on Saturday," party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said in Delhi. The meeting would be held at party headquarters in Shimla in the evening which all 36 newly-elected legislators would attend, Congress general secretary Sudhir Sharma said. Besides...  
01:09 AM, Dec 22, 2012

Virbhadra Singh eyes CM's post as Congress wins in HP Shimla: The Congress returned to power in Himachal Pradesh after five years, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday. Congress leader and former chief minister Virbhadra Singh seems to be eyeing the Chief Minister's post. "I have a big support base, not only among the people but also among the elected MLAs. Now as to what their further role is for me, is to be decided by the Congress high...  
08:31 AM, Dec 21, 2012

Modi wins again in Gujarat, Congress bags Himachal

Modi declared Thursday that his hat-trick of an election win held a national message and that he was serving "Mother India" besides his own state. ...
11:58 PM, Dec 20, 2012