Himachal Pradesh – TheNewsHub

'Cursed' by sati, Himachal village keeps off Diwali

Aseem — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 22:28:59 +0000

Representative Image (Lexica generated AI Image)

HAMIRPUR: People of Sammoo village in Himachal Pradesh‘s Hamirpur district are not celebrating Diwali, a custom they have been following since many years, fearing the curse of a woman who committed Sati on Diwali day.
Village elders have cautioned the younger lot that celebrations would not bode well and invite misfortune, disaster and deaths. Legend goes that, many years ago, the woman had left for her parents’ home to celebrate Diwali. But soon she got the news that her husband, a soldier in the king’s court, had died. The woman, who was pregnant, could not bear the shock and burnt herself on her husband’s pyre. She cursed the villagers that they will never be able to celebrate Diwali.
Sammoo village, located about 25km from Hamirpur district headquarters falls under Bhoranj panchayat. “Even if the villagers settle outside, the woman’s curse doesn’t leave them.
Some years ago, a family from the village, settled far away, were preparing some dishes for Diwali when their house caught fire. The people of the village only worship Sati,” Bhoranj panchayat pradhan Pooja Devi told PTI.
A village elder, who has witnessed over 70 Diwali days without any celebrations, says whenever someone tries to observe Diwali, some misfortune or loss happens and so the villagers prefer to remain indoors. “For hundreds of years, people have refrained from celebrating Diwali. On the day of Diwali, if a family even by mistake bursts crackers and makes dishes at home, then disaster is sure to happen,” says another villager Veena.

Himachal Pradesh to foster scientific temper in kids: Sukhu

Aseem — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 22:55:19 +0000

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Saturday said the state govt is committed to the popularisation and promotion of science among the youth.
He was speaking at the 32nd Himachal Pradesh Children’s Science Congress (HPCSC) which kicked off on Friday. The theme of this year’s event is “Traditional knowledge systems and modern science”. Nearly 22,000 students and 8,000 teachers are expected to take part in it.
The event will be held in all 73 subdivisions on October 18, 19, 21 and 22 and across all 12 districts on Nov 6 and 8. A state-level celebration will be held on Nov 13 and 14, Sukhu said. The Science Congress is being organised by the Himachal Pradesh Council for Science, Technology and Environment in collaboration with the department of education and Samagra Shiksha Himachal Pradesh. tnn

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‘Toilet tax’ row in Himachal Pradesh: What is it and what does CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu say?

Aseem — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 17:12:06 +0000

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday denied claims of any “Toilet Tax” being imposed or proposed in the state. He called the claims as baseless and said they were being spread for political purposes.

“In the light of Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections, the BJP is either playing the religion card or sometimes raising the fabricated toilet tax issue. No one should attempt to politicise issues purely for political gains, especially when the allegations are far from reality,” Sukhu told reporters in New Delhi, as reported by news agency ANI.

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What is the ‘toilet tax’ row?

On 21 September this year, Himachal Pradesh issued a circular proposing a ₹25 charge per toilet seat for commercial establishments and hotels, causing an uproar in the state. It was, however, taken back the same day.

Onkar Chand Sharma, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Jal Shakti Department, Himachal Pradesh, has clarified that the information circulating regarding this fee is incorrect.

He explained that in all urban areas, 30 per cent of water supply bills are levied as sewerage charges, and this has been standard practice. However, some confusion arose regarding commercial units, leading to a notification being issued.

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The notification was withdrawn after objections from the Deputy Chief Minister, who is also the Minister of Water Power.

“The Himachal Pradesh government incurs significant costs, about ₹700 to ₹800 crore, in energy charges to supply water. Sewerage charges are part of water supply connections, and in urban areas, 30 per cent of the water bill covers these sewerage charges,” according to Sharma.

“A flat rate is already in place where ₹100 is charged per connection. In some instances, commercial units were found to be obtaining independent water connections while using government-provided sewerage connections. This led to the proposal of the ₹25 charge per toilet seat, which was swiftly revoked on the same day.”

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He also clarified that sewerage connections will continue to be provided as per the existing system, with the department’s goal being to achieve 100 percent connectivity for improved pollution control and proper treatment of sewage.

The recent notification only addressed water charges, with no changes made to the existing sewerage policies.

Earlier in the day, Himachal Pradesh Jal Shakti department clarified that there is no tax imposed on commercial toilet seats in the state.

CM Sukhu says step to rationalise water subsidy

According to CM Sukhu, before the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections, the previous BJP government had introduced free schemes worth ₹5,000 crore, including provisions for free water, in an attempt to win electoral success.

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He said that despite these efforts, the people voted in favour of the Congress Party, leading to its victory in the state.

In light of this, the current government has decided to rationalise the water subsidy and impose minimal charges of ₹100 per connection per month in rural areas.

He noted that families who can afford to pay their water bills should do so for the state’s benefit.

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