1. HP gets award for best performance under PMSMA:
- Himachal Pradesh has set another milestone in the health sector as it has been adjudged first for its performance under Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritav Abhiyan (PMSMA) in the country.
- Himachal Pradesh had launched PMSMA in the month of August 2016 and established around 495 clinics in which antenatal check-ups were conducted by the doctors.
- Out of the 128058 women registered in the period between August 2016 to May 2018, 87414 (68.26%) were successfully brought to the special PMSMA clinics for the antenatal check-up by a doctor. This proportion is the highest and once again proves that Himachal Pradesh is one of the leading states whereas health indicators are concerned.
2. Foundation stone of STPI Incubation Centre laid at Shimla:
- The Centre would be set up at Mehli near Shimla.
- 50 Villages to be developed as Digital Villages.
- The State Government has initiated several steps to provide IT-enabled services to the people of the state to visualize the dream of Digital India of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
- The Park would be developed with incubation facility with an approximate built-up area of 14000 sq ft at a tentative cost of Rs 10 crore. This would accommodate about 15 to 20 startups with direct employment to 300 to 400 IT professionals and four times the indirect employment in over five years.
- Another STPI was proposed to be set up in Kangra district near Gaggal Airport and the land for the same has been identified. The state government had set up ten targets for the first 100 days and out of these nine have been achieved and the tenth target had been achieved with the laying of foundation stone of this Centre.
3. Centre approves agro-processing cluster in Kangra district:
- The inter-ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) of Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries has granted approval for setting up of an agro-processing cluster named and styled as M/S Great Himalayan Farm Fresh at village Salo near Lunz in district Kangra.
- The cluster would be spread over 10 acres of land involving an investment of Rs. 24.49 crore.
- Facilities at the cluster would include multi-commodity cold storage, warehouse, milk chilling and pasteurization, sorting, grading, and packaging having total employment potential of 400 persons.
- This cluster will prove to be a milestone in harnessing the unmarketable surplus of local horticulture produce such as Kinno, Litchi, Mangoes, Vegetables, Peas, Potatoes etc.
4. Himachal Pradesh best-performing state in Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana:
- Himachal Pradesh has been rated as the best-performing state in the country in implementing Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana.
- Bilaspur district has been awarded for being best performing district in the northern region.
- The Union ministry of women and child welfare celebrated the Matru Vandana week from September 1-7 to mark the first anniversary of the PMMVY.
5. HPSDMA to organize SAMARTH awareness campaign in State:
- Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) is organizing awareness and capacity building campaign ‘Samarth-2018’ from 1-13 October 2018. As a part of the campaign, various events and activities will be carried out at the district and state level.
- SAMARTH campaign is carried out at the state, district and community level and a variety of events and activities are organized every year by HPSDMA, DM Cell, Department of Revenue. A range of Information, Education, and Communication (I.E.C.) material is developed and disseminated among different target groups to enhance their knowledge and understanding of disaster risk reduction.
- Mock drills on fire safety would be conducted in educational institutions besides slogan writing competition, quiz on disasters, poster making and essay writing competitions for schools.
- HPSDMA will also organize a ‘contest for the development of innovative prototypes for disaster preparedness and response’.
6. HP becomes the first state to make all State Gazettes online:
- The printed Gazettes from the year 1953 to 2007 have been digitalized and indexed by Himachal Pradesh Secretariat Library to put them online in the public domain.
- The Gazettes have been printed by the Printing & Stationary Department and the Gazettes from the year 2007 onwards are already being published online by the Department.
- Himachal Pradesh is the first State in India to have all the State Gazettes available online. Also in the year 2007, Himachal Pradesh was the first State to publish Gazettes online on daily basis.
- The software system has been developed by NIC Himachal Pradesh and complete digitalization work has been accomplished by the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat library, which will benefit and facilitate the work of the Government and the general public.
6. Janjehli, Chanshal, Bir Billing to be developed under Nai Raahein Nai Manzilein:
- The State Government has selected Janjehli in Mandi district, Chanshal in Shimla district and Bir Billing in Kangra district to develop under the new scheme ‘Nai Raahein Nai Manzilein’ from the tourism point of view.
- The State Government has made a budget provision of Rs. 50 crore.
- Community Hall at Markanda temple and Ambica Mata Temple whereas solar lighting system would be installed at Janjehii, Shattadhar, Kuthah, Shikari Mata Temple etc. with an expenditure of about Rs. 2.70 crore.
- Temporary tents, promoting adventure tourism, constructing Jungle tracking paths around Janjehli, Thunag, Shikari Devi, Puda Kedar, Tungasi Top, Thachi, etc. would also be constructed for promoting tourism activities in the area.
- 40 new trekking routes would also be developed in Janjehli circuit to facilitate tourists.
7. HP Government appoints B.K. Agarwal as Chief Secretary:
- HP Government has appointed Brij Kumar Agarwal, an IAS officer of Himachal cadre 1985 batch as Chief Secretary to the Government of HP replacing Vineet Chaudhary.