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Tourist Influx Worries Himachal as Deadlier Variant of COVID-19 Confirmed in 80% of Samples in Punjab

Shimla-Himachal Pradesh has reported seven COVID-19 deaths in the past two days with a surge in new cases. Four deaths were reported on Wednesday itself, taking the death tally to 1012.
A massive increase in new COVID-19 cases in neighbouring state of Punjab is concerning for Himachal Pradesh. The tourists from Punjab and other states continue to visit the state without any restriction and monitoring of any sorts.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amrinder Singh, revealed that 81% of the 401 samples sent from Punjab for genome sequencing tested positive for the United Kingdom (UK) variant of the coronavirus – the B.1.1.7 or SARS-CoV-2 variant.
Studies have shown that this new variant is deadlier; it has a higher mortality rate. The SARS-CoV-2 variant is also about 40 to 70 percent more transmissible than previous variants.
Singh said, the new variant is affecting the younger population and urged the Prime Minister to pace up the vaccination drive and include the younger population in it as well.
The Centre yesterday directed states to include all people aged above 45 years in the vaccination drive. The Centre has also rolled out new guidelines for April in wake of the spike in cases in as many as six states – Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu. These states together account for 80.90% of the new cases (40,715) reported in the last 24 hours.
Punjab and Maharastra each have reported 58 COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, which is the highest among the six states.
However, the state government is still reluctant to comment on a strategy to take preventive measures against the entry of the new variant into the state.
On the condition of anonymity, an official of the district administration said, the government is concerned that any mention of the possibility of restrictions and conditions on movement of tourists ahead of the tourist season would enrage the tourism industry.
Although the Centre has directed states/UTs to increase testing, the rate is still not high enough in Himachal Pradesh, the official said.
Also Read: No Fairs, Restriction on Social Gathering, Strict Adherences to Masks and Social Distancing: HP Govt
The state government hasn’t made plans to make precautionary measures like producing COVID-19 negative reports or conducting rapid tests of those entering the state mandatory.
The Centre has already made it clear that no restrictions would be imposed on the inter-state or intra-state movement of people or goods.
Tourists from Punjab flock to Himachal daily, especially on weekends. With the summer -peak tourist season- likely to kick-off in April, the footfall of tourists is only going to rise manyfold. The officials are of the view that completely neglecting taking preventive measures on inter-state movement, especially from the states with a massive surge in new cases, would jeopardise the lives of the people in the state.
Further, the possibilities of more strict lock-downs appears to be thin, especially as India struggles to get out of the recession and unemployment crisis it’s facing. The Reserve Bank of India recently made it clear that another lock-down would be unbearable for the nation.
“There is a restless urgency in the air in India to resume high growth, and incoming data point to even contact-intensive services such as personal care, recreation and hospitality gathering traction,” central bankers led by Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra wrote in the Reserve Bank of India’s latest monthly bulletin. But “another outbreak, more lockdowns and restraints, will get unbearable in spite of learning from the initial experience of living with the virus.”
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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

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

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

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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