News Analysis India

Tag: Jai Ram Thakur

  • Respect mandate, going to hand over my resignation to governor: Himachal CM

    By PTI

    SHIMLA: With the Congress set to cross the majority mark in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur Thursday said he respects the mandate and was going to hand over his resignation to the governor.

    “I respect the mandate. In a short while, I am going to hand over my resignation to the governor,” Thakur told reporters here.

    The Congress on Thursday appeared to be heading to achieve a majority in Himachal Pradesh as it surged ahead of the BJP, winning 16 seats and leading in 23 others.

    According to the latest results and trends, the ruling BJP had registered a win on 13 seats and was leading in as many others. Three Independents have also emerged victorious.

    Himachal Pradesh has not voted any incumbent government to power since 1985.

    SHIMLA: With the Congress set to cross the majority mark in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur Thursday said he respects the mandate and was going to hand over his resignation to the governor.

    “I respect the mandate. In a short while, I am going to hand over my resignation to the governor,” Thakur told reporters here.

    The Congress on Thursday appeared to be heading to achieve a majority in Himachal Pradesh as it surged ahead of the BJP, winning 16 seats and leading in 23 others.

    According to the latest results and trends, the ruling BJP had registered a win on 13 seats and was leading in as many others. Three Independents have also emerged victorious.

    Himachal Pradesh has not voted any incumbent government to power since 1985.

  • Himachal Assembly begins debate on no-confidence motion against BJP government 

    By PTI

    SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Thursday began a debate on a no-confidence motion brought by the opposition Congress and the CPM against the Jai Ram Thakur-led state government.

    Starting the debate on the second day of the ongoing monsoon session, Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri said the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated under the BJP government.

    He said 354 murders, 1,574 rapes and 7,406 molestation cases have so far been reported in the hill state under the Thakur-led government.

    The debate started at 11 am and would continue till 3 pm. Chief Minister Thakur is expected to give his reply at 3 pm.

    The notice for the motion was given by 22 Congress MLAs and the lone CPM legislator in the assembly on Wednesday.

    The speaker told the House on Wednesday that the notice was given at 9.50 am under Rule 278 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

    “The notice stated the House expresses no confidence in the council of ministers as the government fails on all fronts,” the speaker had said.

    The BJP has 43 MLAs in the 68-member House, while the Congress has 22. There are two Independents and one CPI(M) MLA.

    SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Thursday began a debate on a no-confidence motion brought by the opposition Congress and the CPM against the Jai Ram Thakur-led state government.

    Starting the debate on the second day of the ongoing monsoon session, Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri said the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated under the BJP government.

    He said 354 murders, 1,574 rapes and 7,406 molestation cases have so far been reported in the hill state under the Thakur-led government.

    The debate started at 11 am and would continue till 3 pm. Chief Minister Thakur is expected to give his reply at 3 pm.

    The notice for the motion was given by 22 Congress MLAs and the lone CPM legislator in the assembly on Wednesday.

    The speaker told the House on Wednesday that the notice was given at 9.50 am under Rule 278 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

    “The notice stated the House expresses no confidence in the council of ministers as the government fails on all fronts,” the speaker had said.

    The BJP has 43 MLAs in the 68-member House, while the Congress has 22. There are two Independents and one CPI(M) MLA.

  • ‘Restore plaque declaring Sonia laid Atal Tunnel’s foundation stone’: Congress’ ultimatum to Himachal government

    In a press statement issued here Sunday, Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh said Gandhi had laid the foundation stone of the tunnel on June 23, 2010.

  • CBI to probe paper leak of police constables’ recruitment test: Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur

    By PTI

    SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday decided to hand over to the CBI a case of the leakage of question papers of the recruitment test for constables. In a hurriedly called press conference at his official residence Oakover here, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the state government has decided to hand over the probe into the case to the CBI.

    The first reason for entrusting the task to the central investigative agency is to ensure fairness and impartiality in the probe, he said. The case was currently being investigated by a special investigating team of the state police which itself was conducting the written test for the recruitment of constables, he added.

  • Uniform Civil Code a good step, open to implement it in Himachal: CM Jai Ram Thakur

    The Uniform Civil Code calls for the formulation of one law for India, which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. 

  • Himachal CM announces sops, including discount for women in buses, with an eye on polls

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: With an eye on the assembly elections slated for November this year, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday announced several sops including 125 units of free power to all consumers, no water charges for people living in rural areas, and 50 percent discount to women in bus travel, on the occasion of the 75th Himachal Day at the state-level function held at Chamba.

    Addressing the gathering, Jai Ram Thakur announced that all consumers, who use up to 125 units of power, will not get bills from July 1 for up to 125 units will be free. This would benefit 11.5 lakh consumers and would cost the state to the tune of Rs 250 crores.  He also announced that families living in rural areas need not pay water charges.  Further, women travelling in state-owned Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses will get 50 percent discount.

    Moreover, Thakur also announced Rs 5 crore for expediting work on Holiuttarala road and mini secretariat at Chamba Head Quarters to facilitate people of the district. He announced beautification and improvement at Chamba town, besides taking steps to solve the traffic problem of Chamba town.

    He said that the state government is getting needed support from the Centre in implementing development projects. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a special attachment towards Himachal Pradesh and under his leadership, the state has got projects worth thousands of crores.

    The state government, he claimed, has focused on bringing positive changes in the lives of the people and ensuring rapid and balanced development of the state. He recalled that the government in its very first cabinet meeting reduced the age criteria for providing old-age pension from 80 years to 70 years without any income limit, which has now further been reduced to 60 years. As against the Rs 436 crore spent on social security pension today more than Rs 1,300 crore is being spent.

    ALSO READ | Don’t fall in BJP trap: Manish Sisodia to people after Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur announces free power, water

    He mentioned the “unique initiative” of hosting Jan Manch for redressal of the grievances of the people of the state at their doorstep. And to date, 25 Jan Manch have been organized at 244 places and out of 54,565 complaints received, more than ninety percent have been resolved.

    He said that `Mukhya Mantri Seva Sankalp Helpline-1100’ was launched through which a person can register his complaint from any corner to get his issues redressed within a stipulated time period. So far, about 3.55 lakh complaints have been received on this helpline number, out of which 3.41 lakh complaints have been settled, he added.

    Thakur said that the state government started the `HIMCARE’ scheme in January 2019 under which five members of the beneficiary family were being provided free treatment facility up to Rs 5 lakh per year. He said that to date 5.40 lakh families have been registered under HIMCARE and a sum of Rs. 218 crore has been spent on cashless treatment of 2.40 lakh patients. He said that ‘Mukhya Mantri Sahara Yojana has been started to provide financial assistance to the economically weaker sections suffering from serious ailments. Under this scheme, financial assistance of Rs 3,000 is provided to them every month and so far Rs. 60.50 crore has been provided to about 18,000 beneficiaries under this scheme, he added.

  • Himachal Day: CM announces 50 per cent bus fare relaxation for women, free power up to 125 units to all

    By PTI

    SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday announced a 50 per cent relaxation in fare in HRTC buses for women, free power to all up to 125 units, and no water bill in rural areas.

    The state is scheduled to go to polls in December this year. Thakur made the announcements while presiding over the 75th state level Himachal Day function in the historic town of Chowgan in Chamba district today.

    The CM said that the women on the whole will save up to about Rs 60 crore with the 50 per cent discount on HRTC bus fare. He said that consumers using up to 125 electricity units will not be charged anything from July 1.

    With this decision, about 11.5 lakh consumers will get benefit of about Rs 250 crore, he said. The CM also announced that no water bill will be charged from families living in rural areas. This will provide financial benefits of Rs 30 crore to all our rural families, he added.

  • 198 people from Himachal Pradesh evacuated from Ukraine so far: CM Jai Ram Thakur

    Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said 53 students from the state are still stuck in Ukraine's Kharkiv.

  • Bypoll defeat was ‘timely alert’: Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur

    By PTI

    SHIMLA: Describing its defeat in the Himachal Pradesh bypolls as a “timely alert” for the BJP, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has said it should not be seen as the final assessment of his government, suggesting that the party was let down by “overconfidence”.

    In the recently held bypolls in the state, the BJP lost in the Arki, Fatehpur and the Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly seats, and also in the Lok Sabha seat in Mandi.

    In the 2019 general elections, the party had won Mandi with a comfortable margin.

    Thakur said there were several reasons behind the party’s defeat in these bypolls, for which a deeper analysis is required.

    “There could be various reasons for this defeat, but there was overconfidence in the rank and file of the party which cost us heavily in these elections. But it was a timely alert for us just a year before the assembly polls, and now, we will gear up and work hard to win,” Thakur told PTI in an interview.

    On speculations of a possible leadership change in the state government, Thakur said he had been hearing such rumours since the very beginning of his tenure as chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.

    “I have been hearing rumours and speculations of changing the chief minister in Himachal Pradesh from the very beginning. But one thing I can say with confidence is that manipulations don’t work in the BJP, especially under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So far, we had won all bypolls in the state, and this bypoll result should not be seen as the final assessment of my government,” he added.

    On the bypoll results, Thakur said the BJP lost the Mandi Lok Sabha seat by a thin margin.

    The Congress had fielded Pratibha Singh, wife of the former chief minister late Virbhadra Singh, and she gained advantage from sympathy, he added.

    This sympathy for Singh worked for the Congress in the other three seats as well, Thakur said.

    On the BJP losing its deposit in the Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly seat, Thakur said the local leadership wanted the son of the late MLA to contest from the seat and the party’s local unit of that assembly segment had already started campaigning for him.

    “But the BJP’s central leadership took a principled decision not to field a family member of any politician in the bypolls. As a result, another candidate was given the ticket, and the son of the late MLA contested as an Independent, which impacted the party’s performance,” he said.

    Talking about the upcoming assembly elections, Thakur said the BJP has a strong cadre base and he will go around the state to inject fresh energy in them.

  • COVID: Himachal government decides to reopen schools for classes 1-7

    By ANI

    SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh government has decided to reopen schools for students of class 3rd to 7th standard from November 10 and for students of 1st and 2nd standards from November 15.

    The decision was taken during a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday.

    According to an official release from Information and Public Relation, “the Cabinet decided to re-open schools for students of classes 3 to 7 standard with effect from November 10 and classes 1-2 standards from November 15 at full capacity.”

    The government also decided to resume transport buses at full capacity instead of the earlier 50 per cent norms.

    The state cabinet also decided to recommend the Governor of Himachal Pradesh to convene the winter session of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha from December 10 to 15 at Dharamshala, district Kangra. “It would have five sittings,” the release said.

    The decision was also taken to hold the ‘Janmanch’ Programme on November 21 in different parts of the state.

    As per the release, the Cabinet also reviewed the progress in implementation of Swarnim Drishtri Patra of the Bharatiya Janta Party which has been adopted as Policy Document of the present state government.

    “The Cabinet decided to constitute a Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary with Vice Chancellors of Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla and Cluster University Mandi and Secretary Education as its Members to work out the modalities to set up a State University at Mandi,” the release said further.

    It also gave its nod to enhance the stipend of PG-MDS students of Himachal Pradesh government Dental College Shimla by Rs 5000 per month from April 1. Now the MDS students of 1st year would get Rs 40,000 instead of Rs 35000, 2nd-year students would get Rs 45000 instead of Rs. 40,000 and 3rd-year students will get Rs 50,000 per month instead of Rs 45000,” the government said.

    The Cabinet further gave its approval for the inclusion and addition of more items in the existing schedule of the Himachal Pradesh Agricultural and Horticultural Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2005 to achieve the perspective growth of diversified agriculture and allied sector in the larger interest of farm community of the State.

    “Earlier as many as 131 items were included in the existing schedule of the Act. Now as many as 259 items including cereals, pulses, oil seeds, fruits, vegetable fibres, animal husbandry products and livestock, condiments and species, medicinal and aromatic plant species, flowers, potted plants and their seeds and other produce have been included under it,” it added.

    It also decided to upgrade Government Middle School, Chet in Mandi district to Government High School along with the creation of requisite posts for its smooth functioning.

    It further decided to fill up 10 posts of drivers in the General Administration Department of Himachal Pradesh Secretariat on a secondment basis.

    “A presentation was also made on Covid-19 situation in the State and to review the preparedness to tackle the speculated third wave of coronavirus. The Cabinet also reviewed the implementation status and decisions taken by it in the past,” the release added.