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HP By-Elections 2019: Congress Urges EC to Keep an Eye on MCC Violation and Misuse of Govt Machinery by Ruling BJP
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Shimla-With the announcement of dates for the by-elections to Pachhad and Dharamshala Legislative Assembly seats, both Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress have begun to target each other through political statements.
Congress, which is scattered in several factions, is hoping to regain power in two constituencies. On the other hand, it’s a litmus test for Chief Minister Jairam Thakur. There is no remarkable achievement on which the ruling BJP government could count on. In the State Legislative Assembly polls, BJP rode on the Modi wave, but now the people in two constituencies might ponder over the works of the government during the last two years.
Congress has proved to be a very weak opposition and doesn’t have much to claim as achievement either.
Issuing statements is the first step towards re-directing the attention of the voters from the real issues. In this series, on Monday, the President of HP Congress Committee, Kuldeep Rathore, urged the Elections Commission to keep an eye on violations of Model Code of Conduct by the ruling BJP.
Rathore said that he has received information that BJP party-workers have started luring voters with money-power. He also alleged that cases of misuse of government machinery have also come into his notice.
He said that a case of such misuse of government machinery by a BJP leader has come up in district Kangra. The EC should take note of it and take an action against it, Rathore said.
Rathore also warned the EC over any laxity in the security of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). He said the EC should keep a strict vigil to check tempering with EVMs by BJP.
Rathore said that though it is the duty of EC to keep a vigil on MCC violations, the possibility of political pressure on the body can not be ignored.
Further, Congress today divided Pachhad assembly into two zones for election campaigning and constituted committees for it.
Rathore has also directed the workers in both constituencies to refrain from defying party orders and indulge in anti-party activities.
The period of nomination has begun on September 23, but none of the parties has declared their candidates on two vacant seats. While BJP is struggling with infighting, various leaders of Congress are making rounds of party headquarters in New Delhi to please their patron leaders.
On the other hand, over half-a-dozen BJP leaders have also marched to party headquarters in a hope to get a ticket. Some of the leaders are looking toward former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to lobby for them, while some others are approaching the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters.
It is expected that both parties would declare their candidates during the next couple of days.
News
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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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
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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.
News
HP Cabinet Decisions: Approves Pilot Study on Cannabis Cultivation, Seema College Renamed as Raja Virbhadra Singh Govt. College
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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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