Latest news with #HIMURJA
Hindustan Times
31-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Himachal cabinet cancels 172 stalled hydro projects
The state cabinet on Wednesday allowed cancellation of the current allocation of 172 projects sanctioned by HIMURJA that failed to pick up even after more than two decades and has decided to re-advertise these projects. Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during cabinet ministers during meeting in Shimla on Wednesday. (HT Photo) The decision was taken by the chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led cabinet on Day 3 during the 4-day cabinet meetings. Himurja is the state nodal agency for promotion of renewable energy and aims to enhance the proliferation of rooftop solar within the state for projects. All the power projects under 5MW are handled by Himurja. The cabinet also decided to apply a uniform free power royalty of 12% along with an additional 1% for the local area development fund for all hydro projects up to 5 MW that will be allotted in the future. A senior officer said that the companies who were allotted these works failed to start the work and took extension from time to time. Along with this the cabinet also gave its approval to cancel 22 hydroelectric projects above 5 MW, previously allotted by the directorate of energy, where implementation agreements have not been signed. For rest of the projects, a time up to 5 August has been allowed for submission of the replies to the notices served. The state government had issued showcase notices to about 40 such companies. The cabinet also decided to constitute a committee to negotiate with 14 project developers for an out-of-court settlement for the refund of the principal amount of upfront premium, without interest. Amendments to the existing Compassionate Employment Policy The state cabinet also approved the much awaited amendments to the existing Compassionate Employment Policy giving relaxation in annual income eligibility. As per the revised policy, the annual income eligibility criterion per family has been enhanced from ₹2.50 lakh to ₹3 lakh. Priority for compassionate appointments will now be given to widows and parentless applicants below 45 years of age, as well as to the dependents of government officials who died while performing their duties. Additionally, in cases where vacancies under the existing 5% quota for such appointments are unavailable, the cabinet has permitted a one-time relaxation of this quota to ensure eligible applicants are accommodated. In another decision, the Cabinet has allowed engaging women workers in shops and commercial establishments to work in night shifts from 7 pm to 7 am to ensure gender equality. It was also decided to grant maternity benefits to every woman employee working in such establishments as prescribed under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. Amendments to the Himachal Pradesh Minor Minerals (Concession) and Minerals The state cabinet okayed amendments to the Himachal Pradesh Minor Minerals (Concession) and Minerals (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2015. As per the revised provisions, contractors or agencies engaged in road cutting will now be permitted to use the generated material, during the de-siltation and maintenance of reservoir projects, for captive purposes. Additionally, any leftover stacked raw material or finished product, along with the entire material generated shall be auctioned by the designated committee in accordance with the prescribed procedure. The cabinet also constituted a sub-committee under the chairmanship of industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan on the development of a 300 acre medical device park at Nalagarh and has been asked to submit its report within two months. Nod has been given to increase the number of BSc Nursing seats at Sister Nivedita Government Nursing College, Shimla from 60 to 100. Establishment of a new BSc Nursing College with an annual intake of 60 seats at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra at Tanda, along with the creation and filling up of 27 posts of various categories was also sanctioned. The cabinet further approved the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state Government and Alliance Air Aviation Ltd. for operating flights on the Shimla–Dharamshala–Shimla route. To facilitate the expansion of Kangra Airport, it granted a one-year extension, up to August 16, 2026, under Section 26 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, for land acquisition proceedings. Cabinet also approved the draft development plan for the Dhaulakuan Majra Planning Area in Sirmaur district.
New Indian Express
30-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Himachal cabinet cancels 172 stalled hydro projects
CHANDIGARH: The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday approved the cancellation of 172 small hydro projects, each below 5 MW capacity, under the Himachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency (HIMURJA), where construction had allegedly stalled for an extended period. The state government will re-advertise these projects, as per the decision taken at a cabinet meeting. It was also decided to apply a uniform free power royalty of 12 per cent, along with an additional one per cent for the Local Area Development Fund, for all hydro projects up to 5 MW that will be allotted in the future. The cabinet further approved the cancellation of 22 hydroelectric projects above 5 MW, previously allotted by the Directorate of Energy, where implementation agreements had not been signed. For the remaining projects, developers have been allowed time until 5 August 2025 to submit replies to the notices served. A committee will be constituted to negotiate with 14 project developers for an out-of-court settlement to refund the principal amount of the upfront premium, without interest. Amendments were also approved to the Himachal Pradesh Minor Minerals (Concession) and Minerals (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2015. Under the revised provisions, contractors or agencies engaged in road cutting will now be permitted to use the generated material during the de-siltation and maintenance of reservoir projects for captive purposes.
Hindustan Times
28-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
HP cabinet approves emergency centre in panchayats, interest subsidy for solar projects
Himachal Pradesh government to set up Emergency Response Centre in all panchayats in the state. This decision was taken during the state cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presides over a cabinet meeting in Shimla on Saturday. (HT Photo) The Cabinet gave its consent for Panchayat Emergency Response Centre in each of the 3,645 panchayats of the state to ensure effective response in the event of natural disasters to save the human lives and properties. The decision comes after the state witnessed flashfloods and cloudburst on Wednesday with the onset of monsoon in the state. Apart from this the Cabinet in order to encourage self-employment and reduce dependence on conventional energy sources, approved the provision of interest subsidies for the establishment of solar power projects. Under this initiative, a 5% interest subsidy will be provided for solar projects ranging from 100 KW to 1 MW in tribal areas, while a 4% subsidy will be extended for projects with capacities between 250 KW and 2 MW in non-tribal regions. The Cabinet also approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between HIMURJA and selected Gram Panchayats for the installation of 500 KW solar power plants in 100 panchayats under the Green Panchayat Scheme. Each project is expected to generate revenue of approximately ₹ 25 lakh per month. 30% of the earnings will go to HIMURJA, 20% to the state government, and 40% to the respective gram panchayats. An additional 10% share will be allocated to gram panchayats specifically for the welfare of orphans and widows. Cabinet also approved the reclassification of pay matrix Level-11 posts from Group-B to Group-C. With this decision, only bonafide Himachali candidates will be eligible to apply for these reclassified Group-C posts. Earlier, these Level-11 posts were categorised under Group-B, and the recruitment was conducted by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission, which allowed applicants from across the country. Post-reclassification, the recruitment process will be handled by the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog, in accordance with the procedures applicable to Group-C positions. Other decisions Honorarium of multi task workers of the Public Works Department from ₹ 5,000 to ₹ 5,500 per month approved, benefitting around 5,000 workers. Milk Incentive Scheme to be introduced for farmers supplying milk to eligible non-government dairy cooperative societies, under which a subsidy of ₹ 3 per litre will be provided to milk producers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. Shifting of the office of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation from Shimla to Dharamsala approved. This move aligns with the declaration of Kangra as the Tourism Capital of the state and aims to help decongest Shimla city. To create and fill up 101 posts of various categories in the Police Lines of District Police Dehra.
United News of India
28-06-2025
- Business
- United News of India
Emergency response centres to be setup in all Panchyats of Himachal Pradesh
Shimla, June 28 (UNI) To ensure effective response in the event of natural disasters to save the human lives and properties, the Himachal Pradesh government today decided to set up Panchayat Emergency Response Centre in each 3,645 panchayats of the state. The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, here. It approved the decision to shift the office of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation from Shimla to Dharamshala. This move aligns with the declaration of Kangra as the Tourism Capital of the state and aims to help decongest Shimla city. The Cabinet also approved the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between HIMURJA and selected Gram Panchayats for the installation of 500 KW solar power plants in 100 panchayats under the Green Panchayat Scheme. Each project is expected to generate revenue of approximately Rs 25 lakh per month. Under which, 30 percent of the earnings will go to HIMURJA, 20 percent to the State Government, and 40 percent to the respective Gram Panchayats. An additional 10 percent share will be allocated to Gram Panchayats specifically for the welfare of orphans and widows. To encourage self-employment and reduce dependence on conventional energy sources, the state Cabinet has approved the provision of interest subsidies for the establishment of solar power projects. Under this initiative, a five percent interest subsidy will be provided for solar projects ranging from 100 KW to 1 MW in tribal areas, while a four percent subsidy will be extended for projects with capacities between 250 KW and 2 MW in non-tribal regions. The Cabinet also decided to introduce a Milk Incentive Scheme for farmers supplying milk to eligible non-government dairy cooperative societies, under which a subsidy of Rs three per litre will be provided to milk producers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. The state Cabinet also approved the reclassification of pay matrix Level-11 posts from Group-B to Group-C. With this decision, only bonafide Himachali candidates will be eligible to apply for these reclassified Group-C posts. Earlier, these Level-11 posts were categorized under Group-B, and the recruitment was conducted by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission, which allowed applicants from across the country. Post-reclassification, the recruitment process will be handled by the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog, in accordance with the procedures applicable to Group-C positions. It also approved to enhance the honorarium of multi-task workers of the Public Works Department from Rs 5,000 to Rs 5,500 per month, benefitting around 5,000 workers. The Cabinet also decided to create and fill up 101 posts of various categories in Police Lines of District Police Dehra. UNI XC SS
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Business Standard
28-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Himachal govt to set up the emergency response centre in all panchayats
The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday gave its consent for setting up Panchayat Emergency Response Centre in all panchayats of the state, according to an official statement. In a meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the cabinet gave its consent for Panchayat Emergency Response Centre in each of the 3,645 panchayats of the state to ensure effective response in the event of natural disasters to save human lives and properties. To encourage self-employment and reduce dependence on conventional energy sources, it also approved the provision of interest subsidies for the establishment of solar power projects, the statement issued here said. Under this initiative, a five per cent interest subsidy will be provided for solar projects ranging from 100 KW to 1 MW in tribal areas, while a 4 per cent subsidy will be extended for projects with capacities between 250 KW and 2 MW in non-tribal regions. The cabinet also approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Himachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency (HIMURJA) and selected Gram Panchayats for the installation of 500 KW solar power plants in 100 panchayats under the Green Panchayat Scheme. Each project is expected to generate a monthly revenue of approximately Rs 25 lakh out of which 30 per cent will go to HIMURJA, 20 per cent to the state government and 40 per cent to the respective Gram Panchayats. An additional 10 per cent share will be allocated to Gram Panchayats specifically for the welfare of orphans and widows, the statement added. It also approved reclassification of pay matrix Level-11 posts from Group-B to Group-C. With this decision, only bonafide Himachali candidates will be eligible to apply for these reclassified Group-C posts. Post-reclassification, the recruitment process will be handled by the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog, in accordance with the procedures applicable to Group-C positions. Earlier, the recruitment was conducted by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission, which allowed applicants from across the country. Approval to enhance the honorarium of multi task workers of the Public Works Department from Rs 5,000 to Rs 5,500 per month, benefitting around 5000 workers was also given and it was decided to create and fill up 101 posts of various categories in Police Lines of District Police Dehra. The cabinet decided to introduce a Milk Incentive Scheme for farmers supplying milk to eligible non-government dairy cooperative societies, under which a subsidy of Rs 3 per litre will be provided to milk producers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. It approved the decision to shift the office of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation from Shimla to Dharamshala. This move aligns with the declaration of Kangra as the Tourism Capital of the state and aims to help decongest Shimla city, the statement said.
