H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Fresh snowflakes in Shimla
Shimla, January 29
Fresh snowflakes in the evening brought cheer to thousands of tourists who have thronged the town. With the minimum temperature in the town being recorded at
-1.1°C, cold conditions continue to prevail. The temperature at Kalpa in Kinnaur was -7.1°C, 3.1°C at Sundernagar and 2.9°C at Bhuntar in Kullu. The local Meteorological Department said the cold conditions would persist while forecasting of rain and snowfall at isolated places in the state.

Meeting endorses development plan for Chamba
Chamba, January 29
The ‘Draft development plan for Chamba planning area’ has been endorsed by the representatives of various organisations and quarters of Chamba town and submitted to the state government for according final approval. The total outlay for implementation of development proposals under the plan would cost Rs 20.60 crore.

• Donation for tsunami victims

Fresh snowflakes in Shimla
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 29
Fresh snowflakes in the evening brought cheer to thousands of tourists who have thronged the town.

With the minimum temperature in the town being recorded at -1.1°C, cold conditions continue to prevail. The temperature at Kalpa in Kinnaur was -7.1°C, 3.1°C at Sundernagar and 2.9°C at Bhuntar in Kullu.

The local Meteorological Department said the cold conditions would persist while forecasting of rain and snowfall at isolated places in the state. The maximum temperature in the town dipped by one degree today as it was recorded at 8.5°C. The cloud remained overcast for most part of the day after brief sunshine in the morning.

Traffic in the town was restored partially as a thin layer of ice had been formed on certain roads. Traffic has been restored on the Hindustan-Tibet Road via Mashobra after a fresh spell of snowfall on Thursday night.

Water and electricity supply in certain parts of the town remained affected even as frequent snow during the past fortnight has ensured a good tourist flow. The tourists made a beeline for the ski resort of Kufri for skiing.

Meeting endorses development plan for Chamba
Our Correspondent

Chamba, January 29
The ‘Draft development plan for Chamba planning area’ has been endorsed by the representatives of various organisations and quarters of Chamba town and submitted to the state government for according final approval. The total outlay for implementation of development proposals under the plan would cost Rs 20.60 crore.

A meeting was held here yesterday under the chairmanship of Mr Rahul Anand, Deputy Commissioner of Chamba in which objections to the draft development plan lodged by the people were listened to and disposed of in totality.

In the meeting, the DC apprised members of the remedial operations for improvement and conservation of heritage and urban artifacts. Separate rules and regulations had been framed for ‘heritage-cum-conservation zone’, he added.

The Municipal Council of Chamba, Mugla, Karian and Sultanpur are included in the Chamba planning area and the plan has been prepared anticipating the development of a projected population of 44,103 by 2021 A.D.

The Chamba planning area has been divided into three sectors, which include core area of main town Chamba, Hardaspur and Karian and Sultanpur.

In order to make Chamba a hub of tourist attraction, monuments of historical and cultural heritage value have been identified in and around the town and it has been suggested to develop and renovate them.

The plan proposes to set up a solid-waste treatment plant at Sultanpur. It also proposes the construction of parking lots at suitable locations and a new bus stand near zero point on the pattern of Shimla bus stand to avoid traffic congestion.

The plan proposes the construction of two truck terminals at Mugla and near Baloo bridge. It proposes to bring Sultanpur, Hardaspur, Mugla and Karian under sewerage system.

For the purpose of zoning regulation, the residential zone has been divided into three zones, such as core residential area, other built-up area and new residential area.

But the Municipal Council of Chamba and the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority shall be responsible for creating serviced land and the departments concerned shall be accountable for the development of infrastructure relating to their departments.

Among the key persons who gave backing to the draft development plan were Mr Harish Chandra Sharma, convener of the Chamba chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), and Mr Dev Barotra, an environmentalist.

Donation for tsunami victims
Tribune News Service