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Private Bus Operators in Himachal Refuse to Start Operating from June 1 Unless Govt Provides Relief

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Private bus operators in Himachal Pradesh deny running buses

Shimla-Private bus operators in Himachal Pradesh have expressed dissent  with the State Government’s order to ply both Government and private buses from June 1, 2020. The Cabinet had decided to start public transport in the entire State in a meeting held on May 23.

But the various unions of private transporters held a video conference with the State President of the private bus operator union, Rajesh Parashar, on Sunday and decline to ply buses. The meeting was attended by representatives of district unions of Sirmaur, Shimla, Kullu, Chamba, Una, Kangra, and Bilaspur. A total of 150 operators attended the conference and took this decision to not start operating from July 1.

They complained that it’s not feasible for them to ply buses with only 60 percent occupancy as directed by the State Government.

Also, they said, the Government has not provided any relief to the private operators.

They also complained of discrimination while providing relief. The Government has announced crores of financial relief to the HP Road Transportation Corporation (HRTC) and the staff is also insured, they said.  It’s not justified to not announce any relief for private bus operator despite the fact that they are also involved in facilitating the movement of people stranded in the State to their homes.

The operators have demanded that the Government should talk to them and provide some sort of relief, like bank loans on low-interest rates. They have also raised a demand to make a hike in bus fares.

There are drivers/conductors who depend solely on private buses for their livelihood, and it would not be feasible for them to start operating with only 60 percent occupancy, the operators said.  

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HP Cabinet Decisions: Nod to 60-day special maternity leave for female employees and declaration of pending results for 699 posts

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hp cabinet meeting february 2025

SHIMLA — February 15, 2025 — The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, convened today and approved a series of decisions affecting governance, infrastructure, and public welfare.

Budget Session Schedule

The Cabinet recommended to the Governor that the budget session of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha be held from March 10, 2025, to March 28, 2025.

The Cabinet also approved 60-day special maternity leave for female government employees in the event of a stillbirth or the death of a child soon after birth.

HP Cabinet Approves Declaration of Pending Results 

The Cabinet approved the declaration of pending results for 699 posts across six post codes, excluding tainted positions. The posts include:

  • Market Supervisor (Post Code-977)
  • Fireman (Post Code-916)
  • Drawing Master (Post Code-980)
  • Clerks (HP Secretariat, Post Code-962)
  • Lineman (Post Code-971)
  • Steno-Typist (Post Code-928)

New posts created across multiple departments:

  • Police Department:
    • Upgraded Police Chowki Sanjauli to a Police Station, adding 20 new posts.
    • Established Police Post Baghi under Police Station Kotkhai with six posts.
  • Fire & Emergency Services:
    • Approved a new Fire Post at Nerwa (Shimla district) with 17 posts.
  • Revenue Department:
    • Created nine Tehsildar posts.
  • Planning Department:
    • Approved filling three posts.
  • Treasury, Accounts & Lotteries Department:
    • Sanctioned three Treasury Officer posts.
  • Public Health & Infrastructure:
    • Established a Primary Health Centre at Basheel (Solan) with three posts.
    • Created new Jal Shakti Vibhag Divisions at Kangra and Jagatkhana (Bilaspur) with required staffing.
    • Approved a new Sub-Tehsil at Loharghat (Solan).

Education and Medical Advancements

The Cabinet approved:

  • Higher Education:
    • Upgraded 16 Assistant Professors to Associate Professors at HP Government Dental College, Shimla.
  • Technical Education:
    • Introduced B.Tech (Artificial Intelligence & Data Science) and B.Tech (Computer Science) at Rajiv Gandhi Government Engineering College, Nagrota Bagwan (Kangra), with eight new faculty posts.
    • Added B.Tech (Civil Engineering) at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Institute of Engineering & Technology, Pragatinagar (Shimla), with seven posts.
    • Launched a diploma course in Computer Science & Engineering (AI & ML) at Government Polytechnic College, Sundernagar (Mandi).
  • Medical Developments:
    • Established a Department of Nuclear Medicine at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Medical College, Nerchowk (Mandi), adding specialist posts.
    • Approved hiring an Assistant Professor in Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion at Dr. Y.S. Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan (Sirmaur).
    • Allowed allopathic doctors full salary during study leave, whether in India or abroad.

Police Reforms and Infrastructure Development

The HP Cabinet categorized all 135 police stations into six tiers based on:

  • Population
  • Area
  • Crime rate
  • Traffic volume
  • Interstate borders
  • Tourist influx

Staffing will be adjusted accordingly to enhance law enforcement.

Transport and Revenue Enhancements

The Cabinet approved an auction-cum-tender process for entry tax collection in FY 2025-26, estimating ₹11.56 crore in additional revenue. FASTag systems will be introduced at entry toll barriers, starting with:

  • Garamaura (Bilaspur)
  • Parwanoo (Main) & Tiara Bypass (Solan)
  • Govindghat (Sirmaur)
  • Kandwal (Nurpur)
  • Mehatpur (Una)
  • Baddi (Solan)

Administrative Reorganization

The Cabinet approved reorganizing Namhol Sub-Tehsil (Bilaspur) by integrating eight patwar circles from Sadar Tehsil.

 

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Kotkhai Custodial Death Case: CBI Court Sentences IGP Zaidi, 7 Other Policemen to Life Imprisonment

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Zahur H Zaidi

SHIMLA – A special CBI court has convicted and sentenced Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zahur Haider Zaidi and seven other policemen to life imprisonment in connection with the 2017 custodial death case of 29-year-old Suraj Singh.

CBI Public Prosecutor Amit Jindal argued for exemplary punishment, emphasizing the gravity of the crime.

After considering the arguments, CBI Special Judge Alka Malik sentenced the eight police personnel to life imprisonment.

On January 18, the accused were found guilty under Sections 302, 330, 348, 218, 195, 196, 201, and 120B of the IPC in connection with the custodial death of suspect Suraj Singh. However, the court acquitted former Shimla SP DW Negi.

The incident occurred on July 18, 2017, when Suraj Singh, an accused in the alleged gang rape and murder of a minor girl in Kotkhai, Shimla district, died in police custody. The CBI investigation revealed that Suraj Singh was tortured and murdered by police personnel.

The court convicted Zaidi, who was the then Inspector General of Police, along with seven other policemen, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Manoj Joshi, Sub-Inspector Rajinder Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector Deep Chand Sharma, Head Constables Mohan Lal, Surat Singh, and Rafee Mohammad, and Constable Ranjit Sateta.

CBI public prosecutor Amit Jindal stated that the court sentenced the eight convicts to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on them. The accused were convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including murder, voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession, and wrongful confinement to extract confession.

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HP Cabinet Decisions: Approves Pilot Study on Cannabis Cultivation, Seema College Renamed as Raja Virbhadra Singh Govt. College

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HP Cabinet Decisions January 2025

Shimla-The State Cabinet, in its recent meeting held at Dharamshala in Kangra district, made several key decisions across various sectors.

Cannabis Cultivation Study:

The Cabinet approved a pilot study on cannabis cultivation, which will be jointly conducted by Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Krishi Vishvavidyalaya in Kangra and Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture in Solan. The study aims to evaluate the potential of cannabis cultivation and recommend future actions. The Agriculture Department will serve as the nodal agency for this initiative.

Disaster Relief for Tandi Village:

The Cabinet extended the special relief package for disaster-affected families to those impacted by the fire in Tandi Village, Kullu. Under the package, families with fully damaged houses will receive Rs. 7 lakh, those with partially damaged houses will receive Rs. 1 lakh, and families who lost cowsheds will receive Rs. 50,000. Additionally, monthly rental assistance of Rs. 5,000 will be provided to affected families until June 30, 2025.

Robotic Surgery Equipment Procurement:

The Cabinet approved Rs. 56 crore for the procurement of state-of-the-art machinery and equipment for robotic surgery at AIMSS Chamiyana in Shimla and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Tanda, Kangra. The approval follows a model similar to AIIMS New Delhi, aimed at enhancing medical facilities.

Forest Department Order Amendment:

The Cabinet amended the Forest Department’s previous order to allow the extraction of berberis roots (Kashmal) until February 15, 2025. Furthermore, it permitted the transportation of forest produce extracted from open spaces prior to January 4, 2025, until February 15, 2025, in line with the HP Forest Produce Transit (Land Routes) Rules, 2013.

Ropeway Project and Transportation Improvements:

The Cabinet approved the establishment of a ropeway between Kullu Bus Stand and Peej Paragliding Point. Additionally, it sanctioned the procurement of 24 air-conditioned super luxury buses for the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) to improve passenger services.

Rural Development and Infrastructure Reorganization:

Nine posts of Block Development Officers will be filled in the Department of Rural Development. The Cabinet also approved the reorganization of the PWD National Highway Circle in Shahpur, creating two new divisions, Nankhadi and Kholighat, and the Kharahan Section.

State Taxes and Excise Enforcement:

To enhance enforcement, the Cabinet approved the allocation of 100 motorbikes to field offices of the State Taxes and Excise Department for surprise checks and improved monitoring.

State Cadre Posts:

The Cabinet decided to bring the posts of Drivers, all Class-III and Class-IV posts in District Collector (DC) offices, and staff members in the offices of the three Divisional Commissioners, Director of Land Records, Revenue Training Institute (Jogindernagar), Directorate of Consolidation of Holdings (Shimla), and the Settlement Offices in Kangra and Shimla under the State Cadre. This move aims to standardize governance and improve administrative efficiency.

Educational Institutions Renamed:

The Cabinet approved the renaming of several educational institutions. Government College Seema in Shimla will now be known as Raja Virbhadra Singh Government College Seema. GGSSS Sports Hostel (Girls) Jubbal will be renamed Sh. Ram Lal Thakur GGSSS Sports Hostel (Girls), Jubbal, and Government College Khad in Una will be renamed Mohan Lal Dutt Government College Khad.

 

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