Himachal News Insights – Analysis From NVO Experts
Tourism has been hit in Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh after torrential rains. A video of a car being washed away by the Beas River surfaced online.
Both Himachal and Uttarakhand face challenges with their rural healthcare systems. The two trans Himalayan states face a shortage of gynecologists and child specialists as hospitals are mostly concentrated in their major cities that have a small population.
1. Education
The Himachal government has stepped up efforts to provide quality education. It has taken up the task of constructing Rajiv Gandhi day boarding schools in every assembly constituency. The state is also stepping up its efforts to provide free higher education to poor students. It has also rolled out the scheme of providing scholarships to meritorious students.
The state government is making use of technology to streamline education and improve the learning outcomes. Yudhveer explains that the state used to capture assessment data through a manual process whereby students’ examination results were recorded on paper and then manually entered into spreadsheets by data entry operators. The process was time consuming and prone to errors.
With the help of an education technology platform, the Himachal government is able to capture the data immediately after a student’s assessment examination. The data is available to teachers, school and block officials, and even the education department in a standardised format, which helps them make informed decisions for remedial action. The platform was developed by ConveGenius Insights, a company that works in partnership with the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.
The company has recently won the coveted Skoch award for its innovative work in education. The platform digitises assessments and provides a comprehensive dashboard for all stakeholders to track progress, identify gaps in learning and design targeted interventions. The dashboard has been lauded by many for its ease of use and the impact it has had on education in Himachal Pradesh.
2. Tourism
Tourism is the backbone of the Himachal Pradesh economy. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted tourism in the state significantly with a slump in hotel occupancy rates and travellers cancelling their bookings (Sharma, 2020). In response, government authorities have initiated a number of measures to revive tourism such as social distancing, encouraging minimum days stay at hospitality establishments, encouraging mask wearing, encouraging public places for meetings and conferences, and more.
Despite the challenging situation, the Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Associations is optimistic about recovery in the coming months. The president of the organization stated that road connectivity is gradually being restored and tourists are welcome to come to the state without fear.
Himachal’s picturesque landscapes have been the draw for domestic and international tourists. Some of the popular destinations in Himachal include Shimla, Kufri, Naldhera, and Dalhousie. However, the floods and Covid-19 pandemic have impacted these tourist spots, leading to a decrease in hotel occupancy.
In an attempt to lure tourists, hoteliers in Shimla have offered discounts on room tariffs. They have also been displaying posters urging tourists to visit the state and follow the appropriate Covid-19 protocol. One such poster reads: “Come to Himachal Pradesh without any fear. Have a safe journey and enjoy the beautiful views of Himachal”. The message is also accompanied by a picture of a policeman. Tourists are seen taking selfies with the poster.
3. Agriculture
The agriculture sector accounts for around 7% of the state economy. It is mainly a food-producing industry that includes horticulture and apple cultivation in Kinnaur. Besides, the region has also become a melting point for people from diverse cultures coming here to experience the orientalist vision of Indian spirituality.
Nevertheless, farmers here remain vulnerable to climate change and development activities, and often struggle to sustain their livelihoods. They are often trapped in a cycle of debt, lacking bargaining power against large farmers and middlemen. Furthermore, they do not have access to adequate health services and education.
Despite these challenges, the agricultural sector in Himachal continues to attract a lot of investments. For example, the Himachal government has signed a loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank to help boost subtropical horticulture in the state. This project will benefit more than 100,000 farmers in Himachal Pradesh. The signing ceremony was attended by Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the government and Takeo Konishi, Country Director, ADB’s India Resident Mission, on behalf of the ADB. The project will be implemented by Himachal Pradesh State Horticulture Development Corporation Ltd. The agreement will be used for facilitating investments to promote the cultivation of high-value fruits in Himachal Pradesh, which will improve farmers’ income and increase employment opportunities. The project will be funded through a concessional loan under the India-Pacific Subtropical Horticulture Improvement Program.
4. northern voices online of the trans Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have a major impact on healthcare access. The lack of infrastructure and the dearth of medical practitioners aggravates healthcare outcomes especially for pregnant women and children. Almost all private hospitals in both the states are concentrated in their major cities that cater to only a small percentage of their population. Hence, the state’s gynecologists and child specialists are not able to meet the needs of women and children in rural regions.
As a result, both Himachal and Uttarakhand have higher Maternal Mortality Rates (MMR), Neonatal Mortality Rates (NMR) and Under Five Mortality Rates (UFMR) than the national average.
The inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of healthcare systems in both the Himalayan states disproportionately affect women and children, making it difficult for them to gain access to quality maternal and child health care services. As a result, most of the pregnancy related deaths for both mothers and infants are preventable with accessible and quality healthcare facilities.
5. Transport
The state government is making positive efforts to radically change the transport sector by introducing a new electric vehicle policy, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said. He test-drove an electric vehicle at the Secretariat and inquired about its technical aspects. The BJP government is keen to develop Himachal Pradesh as a model for e-vehicles, he added.
A subcommittee is working out fresh freight rates acceptable to truck unions after the state increased value-added tax (VAT) on diesel by Rs 3 earlier this week. The committee has roped in Himachal Consultancy Organisation (HIMCON) to work out the new rate.
The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) incurs losses on 75 designated routes due to offering concessional travel to women and children, operating buses on routes with negligible passenger numbers, and opening unused routes for political reasons. It also faces a revenue gap of Rs65 crore each month. The BJP government is taking steps to make the corporation self-reliant by implementing reforms, he said. During the meeting with the representatives of four employee unions, including HRTC INTUC, HRTC Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, and the HRTC Drivers Union, he promised that overtime and night allowances owed to them would be paid in two instalments soon. He also pledged to release three percent dearness allowance and clear medical reimbursement bills for employees. The public works minister urged the employees to cooperate with him and ensure smooth transportation.
6. Finance
The state government is deploying a huge amount of funds for the development of infrastructure and other sectors in Himachal Pradesh. It is also planning to promote water based activities like house boats, cruises and yachts to attract tourists from different parts of the country.
Landslides and flash floods caused chaos in several areas in Himachal Pradesh claiming lives of some people. NDRF teams were deployed to rescue the trapped people and clear the blocked roads. A video showing a car being washed away by Beas River in Kullu surfaced on social media.
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