Himachal News Today 20 October 2026 | हिमाचल की ताजा खबरें – Bolta Himachal

• Anti-Drug Initiative & Dussehra: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu virtually addressed an “Anti-Chitta Hackathon” in Shahpur from Shimla (0:25). He granted state-level status to the Shahpur Dussehra festival and urged the public and students to actively build a drug-free Himachal (0:25).
• CM Sukhu’s Chamba Tour:

  The Chief Minister is scheduled to visit Chamba on 22 and 23 October (4:01). He will inaugurate various development projects, address public gatherings, and interact directly with local groups under the “Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar“ program in Holi (4:08).

• BJP’s 2027 Election Strategy: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hosted a felicitation ceremony in Shahpur for newly elected local body representatives (17:40). Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur criticized the ruling Congress government over rising debt and claimed that the public’s immense support points toward a BJP victory in the 2027 assembly elections (17:14).

🛠️ Infrastructure & Development

• Road Tarring Budget Approved: Following a special request by the state government, the Central Ministry of Rural Development approved a relief package to handle rising bitumen prices (5:00). An advance of ₹15 crore has been set aside for the current financial year under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), ensuring rural road construction doesn’t halt (4:54).

• New Roads in Chamba: Under PMGSY-4, 65 new roads spanning 327 km are being constructed in the Chamba district at an estimated cost of ₹551.22 crore, providing connectivity to 76 remote villages (5:26).

• Infrastructure Upgrades: Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh announced the approval of ₹100 crore worth of infrastructure projects jointly supported by the state and central governments (7:09). Additionally, center-approved plans include building six tunnels on the Pathankot-Bharmour National Highway and five tunnels for Pangi to secure 12-month connectivity (7:33).

• Smart City Parking Revenue: Shimla Municipal Corporation finalized the allocation letters for five newly developed parking lots built under the Smart City Project, which is expected to generate an annual revenue of ₹1 crore (12:43).

👨‍🏫 Education & Jobs

• Teacher Recruitment Goals: Education Minister Rohit Thakur stated that the department aims to hire 15,000 teachers during the current government tenure (2:35). Around 10,000 appointments have already been made, with an additional 5,000 vacancies targeted for this year (2:48). He shared this during the closing ceremony of the 67th State Level Under-19 Girls’ Sports Tournament in Mandi (3:01).

• Fine Arts Teacher Results: The Himachal Pradesh State Selection Commission (HPRCA) declared its final result for school Fine Arts teachers, selecting 82 candidates for 118 fixed-salary positions, leaving 36 seats vacant due to a lack of eligible candidates (9:26).

• Cyber Attack Alert: A security advisory was issued for students and staff of Maharana Pratap Government College, Amb (Una) after unidentified hackers compromised the official website and uploaded unauthorized casino and betting links (8:24). Stakeholders were asked not to use the portal for fees or admissions until it is fully restored (8:49).

• OPS Option for Electricity Board: The State Electricity Board has opened up a one-time, irreversible option for employees recruited under posts advertised on or before May 15, 2003, to opt for the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) (14:28). Applications must be submitted by 31 October 2026 (14:51).

🍏 Agriculture, Weather & Local Incidents

• Major Drop in Apple Business: According to the HPSAMB, the current apple season has witnessed a massive 52% decline in overall business compared to last year (6:11). Market procurement under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) also suffered an 84% drop (6:48).
• Paddy Procurement: The state has distributed ₹2.97 crore to farmers after setting up 11 centers that successfully procured 6,588.36 metric tonnes of paddy crop (13:21).

• Dry Weather Forecast: The Meteorological Department (IMD Shimla) forecast dry weather across all districts until 25 October, with no active alerts for rain or snow (10:24). While high-altitude areas like Keylong recorded a low of 0.3°C, the plains experienced daytime heat, with Una hitting a maximum of 32°C (10:54).

• Fatal Accident in Lahaul: A tragic road accident took place on the Udaipur-Tindi route when a car carrying seven wedding attendees lost control near the Modaveer Temple and plunged towards the Chenab riverbank, resulting in three deaths and four critical injuries (15:28).

• Drug Bust in Shimla: The police special cell intercepted a vehicle in the Tara Devi area of Shimla, seizing 20 grams of ‘chitta’ (heroin) and arresting three young men under the NDPS Act (13:56).

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