Gaurav Bisht

Gaurav Bisht heads Hindustan Times’ Himachal bureau. He covers politics in the hill state and other issues concerning the masses.

Articles by Gaurav Bisht

Sukhu goes all in to woo people in Virbhadra Singh’s bastion

While Padam Dev was the first Congress MLA from Rohru, Virbhadra Singh represented the seat for five consecutive terms, from 1990 till 2007

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu being welcomed to the public meeting in Rohru in Shimla district on Friday. (HT Phpto)
Updated on Jun 03, 2023 01:50 AM IST
By, Shimla

Himachal: NGT orders probe into debris dumping in Sutlej

National Green Tribunal constitutes committee of state pollution control board and forest department to probe complaint of SJVNL dumping debris of tunnel in river at Sunni

The Sutlej meandering by Sunni village in Himachal Pradesh. The National Green Tribunal order came on the complaint of Meera Thakur of Chintala village about the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) dumping the debris of the tunnel at Sunni in the river. (HT file photo)
Updated on Jun 01, 2023 02:42 PM IST

Hundreds of fish perish in Himachal’s Rewalsar Lake

It is learnt that the colour of the water in Himachal’s Rewalsar Lake , known for its floating reed islands, has changed to dark brown due to silt accumulation. Besides silting, over-feeding by visitors is being cited as the cause of fish mortality.

Hundreds of fish have perished over the past five days in Rewalsar Lake, a sacred natural lake, in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. (HT Photo)
Updated on Jun 01, 2023 12:08 AM IST
By, Shimla

Himachal to allocate power projects on higher royalty, says CM Sukhu

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu ups the ante day after meeting Union power minister RK Singh on Shanan project tussle with Punjab

The lease of the 110-MW Shanan hydel project lease runs out March 2, 2024, but Punjab is firm on its claim over the project in Mandi district’s Jogindernagar town. The project was built in 1925 under a 99-year lease deed executed between Jogendra Sen Bahadur, the then ruler of Mandi state, and colonel BC Batty, the then chief engineer of the government of Punjab. (HT file photo)
Updated on May 30, 2023 04:53 PM IST

Summer snowfall draws tourists to Manali, Shimla given cold shoulder

Hotel occupancy on weekdays, which usually fluctuates between 40 to 70%, has remained close to the lower end of the spectrum at around 50% in Shimla; goes up to 80% in Manali

Tourists taking photographs near a snow-covered patch at Rohtang near Manali. (HT Photo)
Updated on May 27, 2023 04:16 PM IST
By, Shimla

Graft charges against Himachal CM’s office staff: Sukhu asks cops to verify veracity of allegations

A letter alleging corruption against an official in the Himachal Pradesh CM’s office has gone viral in the past few days with the Opposition BJP demanding an inquiry into this

Himacal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has asked the Shimla police to verify the veracity of the facts. (HT File Photo)
Updated on May 27, 2023 12:01 AM IST
By, Shimla

Himachal: Landslide near Theog cuts off apple-growing belt from rest of state

A major landslide on the Hindustan-Tibet road in Himachal Pradesh has disrupted traffic. Several tourist buses and trucks are stranded, and police are diverting traffic through lateral routes. The state has suffered losses of INR 200 crore ($27 million) in the last three months due to unseasonal rain, hailstorm and snowfall.

A major landslide on Thursday disrupted traffic on the Hindustan-Tibet road near Theog that connects apple-growing areas of Rohru, Jubbal, Kotkhai and Chopal to the rest of Himachal Pradesh. (Representational photo)
Updated on May 25, 2023 03:47 PM IST

Restored, Shimla’s 140-year-old Bantony Castle thrown open for public

The Bantony Castle near the Scandal Point, Shimla, has been restored at a cost of around ₹29 crore and will house a heritage museum

The restored Bantony Castle near the Scandal Point, Shimla. (Deepak sansta/HT)
Updated on May 24, 2023 12:19 AM IST
By, Shimla

Himachal mulls bringing back annual exam system for state board-run schools

This year, the overall pass percentage for himachal board schools witnessed a significant 14% drop, going down from 93.9% to 79.4%

The state government is expected to take a call on choosing between annual and term system in the coming days. (HT File)
Updated on May 23, 2023 12:58 AM IST
By, Shimla

Himachal skating on thin ice as winter snow cover drops 10%

Himachal’s centre for climate change mapped the reduced snow cover’s impact on volatile ecology and river basins

Himachal snow cover dropped 10% between 2021-22 to 2022-23. (HT File)
Updated on May 21, 2023 01:13 AM IST
By, Shimla

Himachal to see recruitment of over 10000 teachers this year

The Himachal Pradesh government will recruit more than 10,000 teachers by end of this year

The state cabinet approved 5,291 posts in elementary education on Thursday. (Representational Photo (Getty Images/iStockphoto) )
Updated on May 20, 2023 01:01 AM IST
By, Shimla

Himachal looks to Sikkim orchids to revive wilting floriculture sector

Under the World Bank-funded Horticulture Development Project, the state government will provide help to farmers and orchardists for orchid flower cultivation. It hopes more production on less land will add to the income to growers

The Himachal Pradesh government has drawn up a new plan to revive the floriculture sector, including introducing orchid cultivation. (AFP image for representational purpose)
Updated on May 13, 2023 04:54 AM IST
By, Shimla

Shimla police tighten noose around peddlers

Shimla police have arrested 317 drug peddlers and registered 219 NDPS cases in the past four months, with a focus on drug consumers to break the chain. The police analysed a 62% increase in NDPS cases and arrests in Shimla compared to the same period last year. The police have accelerated their "Pradhav: Wipe out drugs" campaign ahead of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June. The police will organise a district-level contest under the campaign on 21 May.

The police analysed an increase of over 62% in NDPS cases and arrests in Shimla as compared to the corresponding period last year.
Updated on May 10, 2023 11:35 PM IST
By, Shimla

Facing unprovoked attacks from China, head of Tibetan govt in exile during Shimla visit

The head of the Tibetan government in exile also referred to Central Tibetan Administration, Sikyong, on Monday accused China of using cyber tools to defame the Tibetan community

President of central Tibetan Administration Penpa Tsering at Tibetan school in Chotta Shimla. (Deepak Sansta/HT)
Updated on May 10, 2023 02:32 AM IST
By, Shimla

Ban on import of cheap apples bring cheer to fruit growers in Himachal

After years of demands fruit growers in Himachal, Centre prohibit import of apples where the cost, insurance, and freight import price is less than or equal to ₹50 per kg

A notification to ban on import of cheap apples was issued to the director general of foreign trade on Monday. (HT File)
Updated on May 10, 2023 02:25 AM IST
By, Shimla

Himachal estimates 20-cr loss to crops due to rain, hailstorm

Rabi and vegetable crops were sown on 4,01,843 hectares and crops on 16,125.85 hectares were found to be destroyed; wheat is the main rabi crop grown on 3,29,084 hectares

The unseasonal rain and hailstorm in Himachal Pradesh have damaged rabi crops, such as wheat and barley. (HT File)
Updated on May 09, 2023 01:37 PM IST
By, Shimla

May? Maybe not: Snow in parts of Kashmir and Himachal belies entry of summer in north India

Unusual snowfall in May has hit several towns in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, with average temperatures among the lowest since 1951. The northern plains were also recording cooler-than-usual temperatures. The trend is due to a series of rain-bearing western disturbances, according to experts. Although snowfall in May is not uncommon in the higher reaches of the Himalayan ranges, it is unusual in towns at lower altitudes. The trend seems to be more concerning than usual and comes at a time when the climate crisis is predicted to lead to more such unusual weather.

Snow-covered mountains in Lahaul & Spiti. (PTI)
Updated on May 09, 2023 12:06 AM IST
By, Ashiq Hussain, , New Delhi/srinagar/shimla

Private schools to turn mentors for government counterparts in Himachal

Himachal’s private schools will take on the role of mentoring their government counterparts in a bid to help teachers and students gain confidence and understand the strength of the private institutions

Himachal government announced its decision to rope in leading private and convent schools to augment the eudcation standards. (HT Photo)
Updated on May 07, 2023 02:49 AM IST
By, Shimla

Congress dethrones BJP in Queen of Hills, sweeps Shimla MC polls

CM Sukhu passes first test since assuming office as party sweeps 24 of 34 wards; BJP reduced to nine, while CPI(M) bags one in the Shimla MC polls

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Congress’s winning candidates showing victory signs after the results of the Shimla MC polls. (Deepak Sansta /Ht)
Updated on May 05, 2023 11:53 AM IST
By, Shimla

Congress sweeps elections to Shimla’s civic body

The Congress wrest the prestigious Shimla municipal corporation from the BJP after a period of 10 years, winning 24 out of the total 34 wards

Congress supporters celebrate as the party wins the Shimla Municipal Corporation elections on Thursday. (ANI)
Updated on May 05, 2023 12:30 AM IST
By, Shimla

HP cabinet meet: Panel to prepare white paper on financial health

The three-member panel will be headed by deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri and have agriculture minister Chander Kumar and rural development and panchayati raj minister Anirudh Singh as its members

The Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Wednesday decided to constitute a subcommittee to formulate a white paper on the financial health of the state. (HT Photo)
Updated on May 03, 2023 11:26 PM IST
By, Shimla

Himachal water cess: 27 hydel companies register to operate

The 27 companies include two public sector undertakings of the Government of India, namely National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC)

Despite the BJP-led Centre terming the imposition of water cess on hydel projects in Himachal Pradesh “illegal and unconstitutional” and directing the Congress government in the state to withdraw its decision last month, 27 companies have registered themselves on the portal set up for the purpose to operate in the state. (HT File Photo)
Updated on May 03, 2023 06:44 PM IST
By, Shimla

Braving rain, 59% voters exercise their franchise in Shimla MC polls

Of the total 93,920 voters, 53,385 showed up at the polling booths to account for 58.97% during the Shimla MC polls

A group of women after casting their vote for the Shimla MC polls in Bhattakufer. (Deepak Sansta/HT)
Updated on May 03, 2023 03:06 AM IST
By, Shimla

Sun takes a rain check during Himachal’s second-wettest April in two decades

The state recorded 104.1 mm actual rainfall against a normal of 64 mm; the highest 111.8 mm rainfall in April was experienced in 2021

People walking with umbrellas during the rain at Mall Road, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. (Deepak Sansta/HT)
Updated on May 02, 2023 12:06 AM IST

Cherry cheer for Himachal growers as high demand pushes prices up

Cherry yield 35% lower due to dry winter this time; premium quality of fruit grown in Nankhari area of Himachal’s capital Shimla fetches record ₹400 to ₹900 a kg

The fruit’s arrival in markets was delayed by a fortnight due to the dry winter and hailstorms that damaged the crop. (HT File)
Updated on May 02, 2023 12:00 AM IST
By, Shimla

MC Polls: Barbs fly as campaigning reaches fever pitch in Shimla

The Congress is looking to make a comeback in the civic body of the capital town after a gap of 10 years, while the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to retain the municipality it won for the first time in 2017

PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh during the Shimla MC election campaign at Lower Bazaar ward in Shimla on Saturday. (HT Photo)
Updated on Apr 30, 2023 12:57 AM IST
By, Shimla

Shimla MC polls hold lot at stake for Congress, BJP leaders

Shimla municipal corporation elections hold a lot at stake for Congress and BJP, with both parties eyeing to score a win in the oldest civic body in the country.

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu meets people during an election campaign in Shimla. (HT Photo)
Updated on Apr 28, 2023 10:47 PM IST
By, Shimla

Shimla MC polls: Congress, BJP vow to woo voters with development projects

Two major political parties — the ruling Congress and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party — are making every bid to woo the voters with development projects

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu meets people during the election campaign in Shimla on Thursday. (Deepak Sansta/HT)
Updated on Apr 27, 2023 11:11 PM IST
By, Shimla

Water cess unconstitutional, says Centre; HP to seek legal opinion

A day after the Centre shot off a missive to states declaring imposition of water cess on generation of electricity as “illegal and unconstitutional”, the Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday said it would seek legal opinion in the matter

Himachal Pradesh deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri. (HT File Photo)
Updated on Apr 26, 2023 11:06 PM IST
By, Shimla

MC polls: Congress promises to make Shimla drug-free

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, Congress state chief Pratibha Singh and cabinet ministers were present at the release of the manifesto

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Congress state president Pratibha Singh, deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri and other leaders release the election manifesto in Shimla on Tuesday. (Deepak Sansta/HT)
Updated on Apr 25, 2023 11:14 PM IST
By, Shimla
SHARE
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • ...
Story Saved
Live Score
×
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
My Offers
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Monday, June 05, 2023
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Register Free and get Exciting Deals