At Dodra Kwar, Sukhu disburses over ₹1cr to women beneficiaries

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Saturday launched the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi in the remote Dodra Kwar region of Shimla besides inaugurating several key road projects.He released 12 months of Samman Nidhi at the rate of Rs 1,500 per month for 509 eligible women, beginning April 1. A total of Rs 91.62 lakh was disbursed to the women beneficiaries and Rs 45.45 lakh as six-month pension at the rate of Rs 1,500 per month for 505 other women beneficiaries of Dodra Kwar.Sukhu said the state govt is providing Rs 18,000 per year to eligible women under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi. The CM also laid the foundation and inaugurated road projects worth Rs 12 crore. Among them were the Gosang-Jiskun road built at a cost of Rs 5.43 crore, the proposed Dodra-Chamdhar road to be constructed at a cost of Rs 5.46 crore besides the Gosang-Harli road to be built for Rs 85 lakh. The CM also opened the first ATM in Kwar, which has been installed by Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank.Stating that this was his third visit to Dodra Kwar, Sukhu said the state govt would bring more schemes to empower the five panchayats of the region. He said work was in full swing to build a road till Jakha, which would be completed by Dec. The state govt will also create a separate zila parishad for Dodra Kwar, he added.Sukhu announced that the govt will give Rs 1 crore each for the development of the five panchayats of Dodra Kwar, and Rs 4.5 crore for a bailey bridge to connect the region with Uttarakhand. He promised to fully fund the two bridges to be built between Jiskoon and Jakha. The 50km road to be built from Ladrot to Dodra Kwar will be paved by next Oct 2025 and adequate funds will be provided to complete the construction of the resthouse of PWD in Kwar, he said.

Trichy corpn to build drains at Rs32.5 crore; seeks Rs12 crore from govt to relay roads

Trichy corporation has requested Rs12 crore from the state government to repair roads damaged during the underground drainage project. Heavy rains worsened road conditions, prompting plans for patchwork and new stormwater drains. Mayor Mu Anbalagan assured repairs are imminent, with further funds sought from Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Fund. Additionally, 150 workers will be hired to clean stormwater drains.

Artist to receive Kalidasa Samman Award

Artist Ganjeefa Raghupathi Bhatt has been honored with the National Kalidasa Samman Award for 2023 by the Madhya Pradesh government. This prestigious recognition celebrates his lifetime achievements and contributions to the arts. The award ceremony will take place on November 12 in Ujjain.

Tweaks in plan to escalate cost, GMDA wants NHAI to share funds for elevated road project

GMDA has asked NHAI to share the additional Rs 140 crore cost for upgrading the Hero Honda Chowk-Umang Bharadwaj Chowk stretch. The project, initially estimated at Rs 138 crore for a single flyover, now requires Rs 280 crore for a six-lane elevated corridor. This revised plan aims to address traffic demands and prevent future bottlenecks.