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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Himachal govt to check haphazard constructions near riverbanks, nullahs
In the wake of repeated loss of lives and property, the state government will check haphazard constructions near the banks of rivers and nullahs, as well as flash floods and landslide-prone areas. In the wake of repeated loss of lives and property, the state government will check haphazard constructions near the banks of rivers and nullahs, as well as flash floods and landslide-prone areas. (PTI File) Even the governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shiv Pratap Shukla, had called for 'careful planning' of the disaster-prone areas. Town and country planning minister Rajesh Dharmani said that safety norms and strict regulations would be brought to regulate the construction of houses in rural areas. He said that the construction of buildings, bridges and other structures would require certification by a safety council, and their designs are as per norms set by the public works department. He said the powers of the director, Town Planning Act, have been delegated to commissioners and executive officers in urban local body areas while in Special Area Development Authority (SADA), deputy commissioners and SDMs would have the responsibility, while panchayat secretaries would have the power in rural areas for enforcing regulations and compliance. Already chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has decided to change the construction norms near rivers and is mulling to come up with a policy not to allow construction of government buildings with 150 meters of rivers and water bodies. The state government is formulating a policy under which no government institution will be constructed near rivers or streams. All government buildings will now be established at a safe distance of 100 to 150 meters from such water bodies. Disaster-prone areas need careful planning: Guv In wake of large-scale destruction faced by Himachal Pradesh during monsoons, Shukla on Saturday said that the people should think where and how they choose to settle, as disaster-prone areas need careful planning. He said that Union home minister Amit Shah had already sent a central team to assess the damage and had assured him that he would personally visit the state if possible. 'I will be going to Delhi soon, and if I get the opportunity, I will request the Home minister to ensure Himachal Pradesh gets maximum financial assistance based on the report. The Centre has already sanctioned ₹3,000 crore, but more will be needed to make up for the losses. I will also continue to encourage tourism in Himachal despite these challenges,' he said while talking to mediapersons at Raj Bhawan after havan on Saturday. On the issue of relaxing provisions of the Forest Conservation Act to make nautor (allotment of forest land) available to people in tribal districts under Article 5 exemptions, the governor said he had discussed the matter with revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi, tribal development minister, and local representatives from the areas concerned. 'I told them I will visit these regions in September to assess the situation myself. Those who truly need nautor land will be helped,' Shukla said.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Hindu
Himachal govt working on regulating unchecked constructions to mitigate disaster impact: Minister
The Himachal Pradesh government is working on a three-tier policy to check haphazard construction near the banks of rivers and nallahs, as well as flash floods and landslide-prone areas, Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani said on Saturday (August 9, 2025). Safety norms and strict regulations would be brought to regulate the construction of houses in rural areas, the Minister said. Construction of buildings, bridges and other structures would require certification by a safety council, and their designs are as per norms set by the public works department, he told PTI Videos. So far, about 112 people have died in rain-related incidents in the current monsoon season as cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides wreaked havoc, with losses of over ₹1,900 crore to the state. Two years back, 540 people died during the monsoon and losses were estimated to be over ₹10,000 crore. Mr. Dharmani asserted that climate change due to carbon emission was also a major cause of such disasters and added that carbon emission was quite less in the state as compared to other states and hence should be compensated for taking steps to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change. He said the powers of the Director, Town Planning Act have been delegated to commissioners and executive officers in urban local body areas. In Special Area Development Authority (SADA), deputy commissioners and SDMs would have the responsibility, while panchayat secretaries would have the power in rural areas for enforcing regulations and compliance, the Minister said. Construction on plots bigger than 1,000 sqm area are already covered under the Town Planning Act, he said. Mr. Dharmani said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu wants to make Himachal a "green state" by March 2026. He said earthquake threats were a major cause of worry as Himachal Pradesh falls in a seismic zone and most of the private buildings don't have quake-resistant features, adding that retrofittings are required for the safety of such buildings. Himachal Pradesh falls in seismic zones IV and V and is highly vulnerable to earthquakes. Cooperation of people was necessary for enforcing the safety norms for checking haphazard, unplanned and unsafe constructions and minimising the impact of climate change and natural disasters, he added.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Himachal govt working on regulating unchecked constructions to mitigate disaster impact: Minister
Shimla, The Himachal Pradesh government is working on a three-tier policy to check haphazard construction near the banks of rivers and nallahs, as well as flash floods and landslide-prone areas, Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani said on Saturday. Himachal govt working on regulating unchecked constructions to mitigate disaster impact: Minister Safety norms and strict regulations would be brought to regulate the construction of houses in rural areas, the minister said. Construction of buildings, bridges and other structures would require certification by a safety council, and their designs are as per norms set by the public works department, he told PTI Videos. So far, about 112 people have died in rain-related incidents in the current monsoon season as cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides wreaked havoc, with losses of over ₹1,900 crore to the state. Two years back, 540 people died during the monsoon and losses were estimated to be over ₹10,000 crore. Dharmani asserted that climate change due to carbon emission was also a major cause of such disasters and added that carbon emission was quite less in the state as compared to other states, and hence should be compensated for taking steps to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change. He said the powers of the Director, Town Planning Act have been delegated to commissioners and executive officers in urban local body areas. In Special Area Development Authority , deputy commissioners and SDMs would have the responsibility, while panchayat secretaries would have the power in rural areas for enforcing regulations and compliance, the minister said. Construction on plots bigger than 1,000 sqm area are already covered under the Town Planning Act, he said. Dharmani said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu wants to make Himachal a "green state" by March 2026. He said earthquake threats were a major cause of worry as Himachal Pradesh falls in a seismic zone and most of the private buildings don't have quake-resistant features, adding that retrofittings are required for the safety of such buildings. Himachal Pradesh falls in seismic zones IV and V and is highly vulnerable to earthquakes. Cooperation of people was necessary for enforcing the safety norms for checking haphazard, unplanned and unsafe constructions and minimising the impact of climate change and natural disasters, he added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Himachal cabinet nod to financial assistance in the form of rent to disaster-hit families
The state cabinet on Thursday granted ex-post facto approval for providing financial assistance in the form of rent support for affected families residing in relief camps. Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during cabinet meeting in Shimla on Thursday. (Sourced) The decision was taken during Day 4 of cabinet meetings being held under the chairmanship of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and aims to held the people affected by the widespread devastation caused by torrential rains during the ongoing monsoon season. As per the decision, the families will receive rent assistance through direct benefit transfer (DBT) at the rate of ₹5,000 per month in rural areas and ₹10,000 per month in urban areas for a maximum period of six months. As per the state emergency operation centre (SEOC), state has recorded 170 deaths, with 94 attributed to rain-related incidents like landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, and electrocution, and 76 due to road mishaps, since the onset of monsoon--June 20. Over 400 houses have also been damaged. Mandi witnessed maximum damage owing to torrential rains. Nod to introduce OBC reservation in urban body polls The state cabinet also decided to introduce OBC reservation in the upcoming Urban Local Bodies elections. To facilitate this, it also approved the constitution of a Backward Classes Commission to compile accurate data on the population of Backward Classes before finalising the reservation roster. Optimum use of un-utilised vacant government buildings The cabinet also decided to approve the recommendations of a sub-committee formed under chairmanship of technical education minister Rajesh Dharmani to suggest optimum use of un-utilised vacant government buildings. The committee recommended to use all vacant government buildings in phased manner. It was also recommended to designate a nodal agency for providing space to the government departments, boards and corporations who require the same for setting up their offices. The cabinet also gave nod for the auction of 10 minor mineral quarries in district Kangra and the re-auction of 11 such quarries in district Bilaspur. This is expected to generate revenue of ₹18.82 crore for the state exchequer, in addition to creating direct and indirect employment opportunities and helping curb illegal mining. Establishment of tourism investment promotion council It approved the establishment of Tourism Investment Promotion Council under the chairmanship of the chief minister to entertain the projects entailing investment of more than 50 crore each. The council will process the cases within a period of 30 days. To check illegal activities at manufacturing units, the cabinet decided to post two home guards each at distilleries, bottling, and brewery plants. It also approved the posting of a state taxes and excise officer at each such plant, with mandatory rotation within the same district after a prescribed period. It decided to launch Phase-II of the Himachal Pradesh Sadbhawana Legacy Cases Resolution Scheme, 2025, for a period of three months from September 1, aiming to resolve approximately 30,000 pending cases. The scheme will also cover cases related to State Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products up to the financial year 2020–21. The cabinet also approved a one-time legacy policy to regularise unregistered construction equipment vehicles. Other decisions The cabinet has also okayed one-time relaxation of two years in the upper age limit for aspirants appearing for the competitive examination for TGT and JBT posts. One seat per course in all government institutions besides the government aided and private technical institutions has been given nod to. To strengthen healthcare services in remote and tribal regions, it also approved the engagement of 290 additional ASHA workers, ensuring better access to essential health services in these areas. The cabinet also gave its nod to start the operation of lotteries in the state. The cabinet approved purchase of a new Mercedes-Benz car for the governor at a cost of ₹92 lakh. Giving information about the cabinet decisions, industry minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said that the current Mercedes being used by the Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla is more than six year old. Box: Monsoon session likely from August 18 The monsoon session of state legislative assembly is likely to be held from August 18. The cabinet recommended the governor to convene the monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha from August 18 to September 2, 2025. Legalising lottery not in state's interest: Jai Ram Leader of the Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, on Thursday lashed out at Sukhu government for legalising lottery. Jai Ram said, 'As a conclusion of the four-day cabinet meeting, the so-called reformist Sukhu government has legalised the lottery. Earlier, the lottery had been banned. Many families were devastated due to it—homes were auctioned off, and some people were driven to commit suicide. Now the government wants to bring back that dark era'. 'In the name of a self-reliant Himachal, the government is giving legal recognition to cannabis cultivation. It is allowing liquor sales wherever it pleases while shutting down schools and colleges. And now, going even further, it has legaliaed the lottery—so the government can even wipe out people's savings. This policy is not in the interest of the state, and the Bharatiya Janata Party strongly condemns it.'
News18
19-07-2025
- Business
- News18
Efforts on to fix minimum support price for fish procurement: Rajesh Dharmani
Bilaspur (HP), Jul 19 (PTI) Efforts are being taken to fix a minimum support price (MSP) for fish procurement to strengthen the economic condition of farmers, Urban Development, Housing, Technical Education, and Vocational and Industrial Training Minister Rajesh Dharmani said on Saturday. Addressing a day-long district-level fisheries awareness camp organised in Kutbaungand, under the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), Bilaspur, he said that a meeting with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will be held soon to take necessary decisions in this regard. The state government is committed to supporting fish farmers and has reduced fish royalty from 15 per cent to 7.5 per cent, directly benefiting the fisher community, he added. Dharmani announced that permanent shops will be provided near Oahr, along the four-lane highway, to fish cooperative societies for selling raw and cooked fish. Additionally, temporary stalls will be allowed at suitable points along the Chandigarh-Manali highway, so that local fishermen can directly benefit from the tourist traffic. The minister instructed Fisheries Department officials to resolve issues where contractors purchase fewer fish during the period of high yield. He emphasised the need to focus on food processing and value addition so that surplus fish can be preserved in cold storage and further processed to enhance income for local fishermen. He also mentioned that a cable ferry project has been proposed to connect the Naina Devi Temple with Baba Balak Nath Temple, facilitating the transport of devotees' vehicles across the route. The government has approved Rs 14 lakh for preparing the detailed project report (DPR) of this project. Vijaypal Nag, President of the Cooperative Society Jagatkhan, demanded the revival of the Fisheries Housing Scheme so that fishermen could be provided with residential benefits. He pointed out that although APMC collects a one per cent royalty, the cooperative fish societies have yet to receive basic infrastructure support, and urged the construction of an APMC office and other facilities. PTI CORR BPL BAL BAL view comments First Published: July 19, 2025, 20:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
