Glossary of Tribal Dialects of Himachal Pradesh – Prof. Chandra Mohan Parasira has prepared this dictionary with the help of tribal people
Under the Pale Moonlight , a collection of poems by a 17 year old school student, Hridayansh Khera
Dream Catcher – written by Kumari Rewa, a student of seventh standard. It is a collection of 18 short stories that take us to the world of imagination.
Karyala authored by Dr. Monika Shandil resident of Kachighati of Shimla. This book mainly focusing on the rich culture of the State and folk theatre will prove beneficial to the readers as it will give them insights about the State rich traditions and cultural heritage.
Kullu and Mandi get Intra Circle Roaming facility:
Intra-Circle Roaming facility has been provided to mobile phone users in Kullu and Mandi districts. A spokesman of the State Government said here today that Intra-Circle roaming allows telecom users to avail other networks’ services even while in their home region, in case their primary network faces an outage.
In view of heavy rains in Mandi and Kullu districts, the communication systems have been adversely affected, due to which people faced problems.
This facility has been provided till 21st August, 2023 and will be extended if needed.
HP bans felling of Mango and five other tree species:
In a significant move aimed at addressing the issue of timber and fuel wood thievery from Himachal Pradesh, the state government has taken decisive action by imposing a ban on the felling of Mango and five other tree species, with immediate effect.
Apart from Mango trees, other species includes Triyambal (Ficus species), Toon (Toona ciliata), Padam or Pajja (Prunus cerasus), Ritha (Sapindus mukorossi) and Baan (Quercus leucotrichophora).
All these six species have been brought under ten-year felling program and these can now only be axed with explicit permission from the forest department.
However, under the new regulations, felling of a maximum of five trees in a year for domestic purposes will be allowed”.
There would be a total ban on export of timber and fuel wood of any above out of the state, a measure aimed at curbing illegal trade and preserving the region’s valuable resources.
“This ban is imposed keeping in mind constitutes a critical step in addressing the issue of illegal deforestation and for preservations of the biodiversity of the state.
A revised list of permissible tree species has been notified, allowing only thirteen species to be felled with prior intimation to the Range officer, while felling of the other species will also require forest clearances.
This step not only safeguards indigenous species but also plays a pivotal role in wildlife preservation”.
Cabinet made amendment in Swaran Jayanti Energy Policy:
The Cabinet decided to amend Swaran Jayanti Energy Policy, wherein MoU will be for a period of 40 years.
The royalty will be as 15 percent for the first 12 years, 20 for the next 18 years and 30 percent for the remaining 10 year period.
Thereafter, the project shall revert back to the State Government free of cost and free from all encumbrances and liabilities.
However, the royalty payable to the State for an extended period will not be less than 50 percent.
It also decided to withdraw the relaxation given for staggered free power royalty in favour of SJVNL and NHPC for 210 MW Luhri Stage-I, 66 MW Dhaulasidh, 382 MW Sunni Dam and 500 MW Dugar Hydro Electric Projects with immediate effect.
Himachal Pradesh Widow Remarriage Scheme:
Cabinet gave its approval to enhance the financial assistance from Rs. 65 thousand to Rs. 2 lakh under Himachal Pradesh Widow Remarriage Scheme.
Enhancement of the support price of apple, mango and citrus fruits:
The Cabinet gave its approval to enhance the support price of apple, mango and citrus fruits being procured under Market Intervention Scheme for the year 2023-24 in the State.
Henceforth, the support price of apple and mango will be Rs. 12 per kg instead of Rs. 10.50.
Additionally, the support price of Kinnow, Malta and orange has been increased to Rs. 12 per kg from Rs. 9.50, whereas the support price of galgal and lemon has been enhanced to Rs.10 from Rs. 8 per kg.
Wage rates of MNREGA increased:
The cabinet decided to enhance the wage rates under MGNREGS from Rs. 224 to Rs. 240 in non-tribal areas and Rs. 294 from Rs. 280 in tribal areas from 15th August, 2023.
