Shimla, July 12 (IANS) The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh on Friday at a Cabinet meeting decided to withdraw the free electricity scheme benefitting all income-tax payers.
However, the 125-unit free power subsidy to domestic consumers will continue for all other categories, including BPL and IRDP families.
A decision in this regard was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu.
At least 12 students were injured after a balcony of a two-storey private school building collapsed in Bihar's Madhepura district on Friday. The incident took place at the National DAV Public School in Udakishunganj block of the district. The conditions of three of the 12 injured students are stated to be critical.
Harpreet Singh, brother of jailed radical Sikh preacher and Punjab's Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh who once ran an anti-drug campaign, along with his associate Lovepreet Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police in a drug case and their dope test was positive, officials said on Friday.
According to the ASDMA officials, the number of affected people has come down from over 24.20 lakh in 30 districts as of July 5. Till Wednesday, at least 84 people died due to the flood and around 10 more people died due to landslides and other calamities after the monsoon rain started early last month.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday hold a meeting with leading economists to discuss the Union Budget 2024-25. The budget will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on July 23. The Budget Session will start on July 22 and conclude on August 12.
Ten people lost their lives due to lightning strikes in the last 24 hours in Bihar, said officials on Thursday. Three persons died in Rohtas, two in Siwan, and one each in Kaimur, West Champaran, Supaul, Munger and Banka districts.
Snuffing out 209 innocents, the terror attack became the second worst extremist disaster in Mumbai, preceded by the March 12, 1993 serials bomb blasts (257 killed) and followed by the November 26-29, 2008 terror strikes (166+9 terrorists killed).