Dhumal seeks funds for rail network expansion in Himachal

September 4th, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh will be soon included in the National River Conservation Programme, an official statement said Friday. "The centre has agreed to include Himachal Pradesh in the National River Conservation Programme.

September 3rd, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh Governor Prabha Rau and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Thursday expressed grief over the death of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

September 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Thursday urged the central government to set up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in the hill state. Dhumal met union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal here Thursday and offered Rs.15 crore as the state's share and 100 acres of land and other necessary facilities for setting up the technology and business schools in Himachal Pradesh.

July 9th, 2009 SHIMLA - After 18 months of coming to power in Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government Thursday expanded its 10-member ministry for the first time, inducting two ministers. Jai Ram Thakur, a former state BJP chief, and Mohinder Singh - both legislators from Mandi district - were sworn-in by Governor Prabha Rau at Raj Bhavan here.

July 3rd, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Friday said that it was not fair on the part of the central government to ignore the interests of the people of the hill state in the railway budget. "It's unfortunate on the part of the central government to ignore the interests of the hill state in the railway budget," he said in an official statement.

June 11th, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has requested the central government to consider the option of routing the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage in China through this hill state terming it more "convenient and shorter". In a missive to Union Minister for External Affairs S.M.

June 4th, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh will be connected to the gas pipeline by next year, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said here Thursday. "The industrial hub of the state, the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh area, would be connected with the gas pipeline in the first phase through Nangal town of Punjab where the laying of pipeline is in progress," he told reporters after meeting Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board of India chairman Lalit Mansingh.

June 2nd, 2009 SHIMLA - The Himachal Pradesh government has cleared nine industrial proposals worth Rs.256.99 crore, including one of Essar Group, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said here Tuesday. "We have cleared proposals of nine industrial houses, including Essar Group, Paragon Knits, Gujarat Flour Chemical, UB Biscuits and Wind Turbine Equipment," he told reporters.

May 23rd, 2009 SHIMLA - Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Saturday expressed hope that the elevation of Anand Sharma to cabinet rank in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government would benefit Himachal Pradesh, his home state. "We hope Sharma's presence in the union cabinet would ensure all-round development of the state through more liberal central assistance and schemes.

April 14th, 2009 SHIMLA - The Election Commission has asked the Himachal Pradesh chief minister and his cabinet colleagues not to participate in functions to celebrate the state's foundation day Wednesday in view of the model code of conduct. 'Chief Secretary Asha Swaroop would preside over the state-level (foundation day) function in Bilaspur district.

March 2nd, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh has sought funds from the central government to strengthen Panchayati Raj (local government) institutions in the state, an official release said Sunday. A request to sanction a grant of Rs.159 million (Rs.15.90 crore) was made by state Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal at a meeting with Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Development Mani Shankar Aiyar in New Delhi.

March 1st, 2009 SHIMLA - The Planning Commission has allocated Rs.27 billion for Himachal Pradesh for 2009-10, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said Saturday. 'The annual plan for Himachal Pradesh has been fixed at Rs.2,700 crore (Rs.27 billion), which is Rs.300 crore (Rs.3 billion) more than last year,' Dhumal told reporters.

February 28th, 2009 SHIMLA - The Himachal Pradesh government has detected five cases of environmental violations by Jai Parkash Hydro Power and action is being taken against the power generation major, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said here Friday. The government would not allow the company to illegally dump sludge along a key highway, he added.

February 27th, 2009 SHIMLA - The central government has sanctioned over Rs.350 crore (Rs.3.5 billion) for the proposed Bhanuppali-Bilaspur railway line in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said in the state assembly Thursday. 'The Railways informed us (the government) yesterday that Rs.350.33 crore has been sanctioned for starting work on first 20-km stretch of the railway line,' Dhumal said while making a suo-motu statement.

February 16th, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Tuesday said the central government has agreed to four-lane the national highway from Kalka in Haryana to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. 'The central government has approved in principle the four-laning of the national highway from Kalka to Shimla,' Dhumal told the state assembly.