State level Int’l Women's Day to be celebrated in Panchkula today

Chandigarh: The state-level International Women's Day celebration will take place in Panchkula on Saturday, where the contributions of women will be honoured across various categories. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini will attend the event as the chief guest. Minister of Women and Child Development Shruti Chaudhary said that, as in previous years, Haryana Government is organizing a state-level program to mark International Women's Day. The event will acknowledge the struggles, achievements, and significant roles of women in society. The primary objective of the day is to promote women's empowerment, ensure gender equality, and further strengthen women's roles in society. Women from across the state will participate in the program. Chaudhary further said that among the individuals being honoured, Shanta Ranga of Karnal will receive the prestigious Sushma Swaraj Award, along with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. The Indira Gandhi Mahila Shakti Award will be conferred upon Bala Verma of Hisar and Rekha Rani Dhiman of Jind. Meenu Devi of Hansi will receive the Kalpana Chawla Shaurya Award, while Kamlesh Arora of Ambala will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Proposed Bus strike withdrawn in Himachal

Shimla: Following discussions with Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri in Shimla on Friday, various unions of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) have decided to withdraw their proposed strike. Agnihotri said that the state government and the HRTC remain dedicated and committed to serve the people of the state. He said the salaries and pensions of the HRTC employees and pensioners are being disbursed every month without any delay. The state government has extended the benefits of the old pension scheme to the employees of the corporation and recently released Rs. 5 crore for overtime allowances. He said that an additional Rs.10 crore for overtime allowances would be disbursed shortly to the corporation.

1500 volunteers get trained for disaster response in HP Govt

Shimla:  A total of 1,500 volunteers have been trained in disaster response across nine districts in Himachal Pradesh under the first phase of the Yuva Aapda Mitra scheme (YAMS), according to an official statement on Friday.  In the second phase, about 4,070 youth volunteers from the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and Bharat Scouts & Guides (BS&G) will undergo a seven-day residential training. The training will be conducted at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) in Manali and at Home Guard and Civil Defence training centres in various other districts. The District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) will oversee implementation at the district level, Director-cum-Special Secretary (Revenue) DC Rana said. Additionally, 20 master trainers from the state are undergoing an advanced Training of Trainers (ToT) programme at the Central Training Institute in Jammu. These trainers will play a key role in strengthening disaster preparedness across Himachal.

Rs 146 crore to be spent on laying underground utility ducts in Shimla

Shimla: Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday said that Rs 146.34 crore would be spent on the underground utility ducts from Chhota Shimla to Willy Park and other areas in Shimla City. Presiding over a meeting of the Public Works Department here to review its construction, he said the project would go a long way in enhancing the infrastructure in Shimla City to increase the footfall of the tourists. He said this would provide uninterrupted and 24x7 power supply to the residents even during heavy snowfall and adverse weather conditions in the city. Sukhu said the construction of underground utility ducts would also obviate the need for the repeated digging of the road, with all utilities like water pipelines, electrical lines and fibre cables laid in a common underground duct. The CM instructed the officers to build the ducts on the lines of 'Green Himachal' without causing inconvenience to the people.