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Area : 55,673 sq km
Population : 6,077,900
Capital : Shimla
Principal Languages : Hindi & Pahari
Himachal situated in the
heart of the Western Himalya, identified as “Dev
Bhumi” is believed to be the abode of God and
Goddesses. The entire State is punctuated with
stone as well as wood temples. The rich culture
and traditions has made Himachal unique in
itself. The shadowy valleys, rugged
crags, glaciers and gigantic pines and roaring
rivers and exquisite flora and fauna composes
the symphony that is for ever Himachal.
The north-eastern part of the State is
decorated with snow-covered, silver-headed
mountains, halcyon lakes and green stretches of
prairies. The State is rich in flora and fauna.
In the north it is contiguous to Jammu and
Kashmir, and in the south-east, it adjoins the
hilly areas of Uttar Pradesh. In the south and
on the western side, the territory is bordered
by Haryana and Punjab respectively, whereas on
the east it borders Tibet.
The State came into being as a union
territory in April 1948, as a result of
integration of 30 princely states spread over
27,000 sq km. In 1954, when another 'C' class
State of Bilaspur merged with Himachal Pradesh,
its area increased to 28,241 sq km. The position
remained unchanged till 1966, when on
reorganisation of the states, the hilly areas of
Punjab were merged with the state increasing its
size to 55,673 sq km. Proportionately, the
population also increased from 1.4 million to
2.8 million, now standing at 60,77,248 according
to census 2001.
Agriculture being the main occupation
of the people of Himachal Pradesh has an
important role in the economy of the State. It
provides direct employment to about 71 per cent
of the main working population. Income from the
agriculture and allied sector accounts for
nearly 22.5 per cent of the total State Domestic
Product. Out of the total geographical area of
55.673 lakh hectares, the area of operational
holding is about 9.99 lakh hectares owned by
8.63 lakh farmers. The marginal and small
farmers constitute 84.5 per cent of the total
land holdings. The cultivated area in the State
is only 10.4 per cent. About 80 per cent of the
area is rain-fed.
Under the diversification approach, major
emphasis is being laid on the production of
off-season vegetables, quality vegetable seeds,
potato and ginger besides soyabean, oilseeds and
pulses. A project-based approach has been
adopted to increase vegetable production. At
present, about 41,500 hectare area is under
vegetable production with production level of
7.85 lakh tonne. Loanee and non-loanee farmers
have been covered and initially maize, rice,
wheat, barley and potato crops have been brought
under the purview of the scheme. To educate the
farmers about the latest technical know-how, the
extensive network in the State has been
energised for achieving accelerated growth in
Agriculture, H.R.D. and water conservation, with
proper natural resources management been
accordingly prioritised.
Nature has endowed Himachal Pradesh
with a wide range of agro-climatic conditions,
which have helped the farmers to cultivate a
large variety of fruits ranging from temperate
to sub-tropical. The main fruits under
cultivation are apple, pear, peach, plum,
apricot nut fruit, citrus fruits mango, litchi,
guava and strawberry, etc. The total area under
fruit cultivation, which was only 792 hectare in
1950, has increased to more than 2 lakh
hectares. Similarly, the fruit production has
also increased from 1200 MT in 1950 to 6.92 lakh
tonnes in 2005. The target for fruit production
for year 2005-2006 has been fixed 7 lakh tonnes.
Horticulture generates gross domestic income of
about Rs. 1000 crore annually.
The Horticulture Technology Mission for the
integrated development of horticulture is being
implemented with a total outlay of Rs. 80 crore
during the tenth five-year plan period. This
Mission is based on the “end to end approach”
taking into account the entire gamut of
horticulture development with all backward and
forward linkages in holistic manner. Under this
scheme four centres of excellence are being
created in different Agro-Climatic Zones with
common facilities like water harvesting,
vermicompost, greenhouses, organic farming
and farm mechanisation.
Roads are the lifeline and major
means of communication in the predominantly
hilly State of Himachal Pradesh. The tremendous
potential inherent in various fields in Himachal
Pradesh could not be exploited for economic
growth in the past due to lack of means of
communication. Out of its 55,673 km area, 36,700
km is inhabited and its 16,807 inhabited
villages are scattered over slopes of numerous
hill ranges and valleys. When the Pradesh came
into existence in 1948, there were 288 km of
roads, which has gone up to 23,788 km. The State
has 8 National Highways having a total road
length of 1,235 km.
Himachal Pradesh has
immense hydro-potential in its five river
basins. Chenab, Rabi, Beas, Satluj and Yamuna
which emanates from the western Himalayas pass
through the State. The strategy of development in
the power sector comprises of expeditions
actualisation of the Hydro Electric Potential
and introduction of power sector reforms to
bring efficiency in the sector and provide high
quality power to the consumers at reasonable
rates besides availability of abundant power to
industrial and tourism sectors. The total
identified potential in the State stands at
21000 M.W which is one fourth of India’s total
hydro-power potential. Presently out of this
6,067 M.W has already been harnessed by various
agencies. Projects aggregating to 7,602 M.W are
under execution. It is on the cards that State
will have about 11,000 M.W actualised potential
by the end of 11th Plan.
There is no denying the fact that the way the
Government has embarked upon an accelerated
Power Development Programme. The State is
speedily moving towards a “Power State” of the
Country. All the census villages in the State
have been electrified and now left out hamlets
are being covered.
Industrial development has
been given big boost in the State. Pollution
free environment, abundant availability of power
and rapidly developing infrastructure, peaceful
atmosphere responsive and transparent
administration are some of the added attractions
and advantages that the entrepreneurs get in
Himachal Pradesh. 315 large and medium and about
32,709 small-scale industrial units with an
investment of about Rs. 4255.78 crore had been
set up in the state generating employment for
1.86 lakh persons. The sector is contributing
15 per cent to the State Domestic Product and
the annual turnover on this account is about Rs.
6000 crore.
The State has formulated a new Industrial
Policy and Incentive Rules- 2004, which provides
attractive packages to the entrepreneurs for
setting up of Industrial Units in the State. 42
industrial areas and 15 Industrial Estates with
all basic amenities have been developed in the
State.
With a view to provide umbrella support to
existing and new ventures, the State government
has set up a State Level Single Window Clearance
and Monitoring Authority ( SLSWCMA) in Himachal
Pradesh under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister
to give permission to the entrepreneurs to set
up industrial units in the State. This also
discuss and solve all industry related and
inter-departmental issues, monitor and review
the progress of units already approved and
proposed to be set up. This Authority is also
focusing its attention on the development of
quality infrastructure. Presently 7040
industrial units with an investment of about
Rs.18045.30 crore envisaging employment to
about 2.52 lakh persons have been approved. A
proposal is also underway of setting up Special
Economic Zone in Kangra, Una and other districts
with an estimated cost of Rs.5000 crore.
The Central Government has also given
attractive package for setting up of Industrial
Units which also includes Income Tax Holidays.
The State Government is also giving several
attractive incentives including exemptions in
excise duty.
Himachal Pradesh has made significant
progress in the field of industrialisation in
the past few years. There are 196 large and
medium and about 30,839 small-scale industrial
units in the state. This sector is contributing
around 14 per cent to the State Domestic
Product.
The Government of Himachal
Pradesh has developed an IT Vision-2010 in
collaboration with NASSCOM to make Himachal
Pradesh an IT destination. Under the IT policy,
it has been decided to accord the status of
Industry to all IT projects, including IT
related services and educational institutions.
As such, all the incentives available to
Industry under the presently applicable
Industrial Policy will also be made available to
the IT units in the State.
The use of IT in governance is aimed at
having SMART (Simple, Moral, Accountable,
Responsive and Transparent) government. The
State Government official website at
“http://himachal.nic.in” is a web portal
providing citizen centric services to the
citizens and it has got interfaces for getting
inputs from the grassroot level. The State
Government is also in the process of creating an
H.P. State Wide Area Network (HIM SWAN), which
will also be connected to the Internet. In the
Phase-I of HIMSWAN, H.P. Secretariat Local Area
Network was established with a provision to
provide LAN connectivity to every third person.
All IT units in the State have been given Income
Tax holiday up to 2007. Information Technology
Park is proposed to be set up in the State in
Solan district.
Keeping in view the importance of
bio-technology, a separate Department of
Bio-technology has been set up and the State's
own Biotechnology Policy has been formulated.
The Government proposes to give sales tax
holiday to all Bio-Technical Units in the state
up to 2012. Income Tax Holiday for the first 5
years and 30 per cent rebate thereafter and
Central Excise Exemption 100 per cent for the
first 10 years.
Net sown area in the
State was 5.83 lakh hectares till 2004.Villages
have been provided the facility of drinking
water, over 13,000 hand pumps have been
installed in the State so far. For better reform
in water supply and irrigation sector, the State
Government has taken up a WASH project with the
total cost of Rs. 339 crore for irrigation as
well as for drinking water supply schemes with
Gesellschaft for Technische Zuoammeuorbeit
(GTZ).
Rs. 40 crore new drinking Water Supply Scheme
has been launched for Shimla town. The
Government of India has approved 471 schemes of
Rs.7.33 crore under Swajal Dhara Programme. 49
small-scale irrigation schemes of Rs. 16.31
crore have been sanctioned by Centre Government
to supplement the efforts of State to meet out
irrigation and drinking water supply to the
people.
The
total geographical area of the state is 55,673
sq km. As per record, the total forest area is
37,033 sq. km. Out of this, 16,376 sq. km. area
is not fit for tree growth comprising alpine
pastures, area under permanent snow, etc.
The cultivable recorded forest area is only
20,657 sq. km. Efforts are being taken to bring
maximum area under green cover
by implementing State’s own projects,
Government of India’s projects and also through
external aided projects. The World Bank has also
been sanctioned a Rs. 365 crore Integrated
Watershed Development Project for the Mid
Himalayas. 545 panchayats of 42 devlopmental
blocks in 10 districts would be covered during
the next six years.There are 2 National Parks
and 32 wild life sancturies in the State. Total
area under wild life sanctuaries is 5562 Km area
under National Parks is 1440 Km and total area
of Protected Area Network is 7002 Km.
Education is important for over-all
development of a State. Himachal Pradesh has
emerged as the third best State in terms of
over-all development and performance. The
achievements of past three years have been
lauded by India Today Survey and has been
adjudged number one State in Primary Education
and teacher student ratio. Himachal Pradesh has
witnessed literacy revolution as we are
second only to Kerala in literacy. State has
about 15,000 educational institutes, including
three Universities, two Medical Colleges, one
Engineering College in the Government Sector and
a number of technical, professional and other
educational institutions. The literacy
percentage of the State according to 2001 Census
is 77.13 which is much higher than the national
average of 65.38. The State Government’s
emphasis now is to ensure qualitative
improvement in the education besides need based
expansion. Sarva Siksha Abhiyan an ambitious
project worth Rs. 532 crore is being evolved
with main objective to achieve universalisation
of elementary education with the sole aim to
spread the light of knowlwdge to every nook and
corner of the State.
Tourism Industry
in Himachal Pradesh has been given very high
priority and the Government has devloped an
appropriate infrastructure for its devlopment
which includes provision of public utility
services, roads, communication network,
airports, transport facilities, water supply and
civic amenities, etc. The State Government is
poised to transform the State into “A
Destination for All Saesons and All Reasons”.
The State Tourism Devlopment Corporation
contributing 10 per cent to the State exchequer.
The corporation contributes more than Rs. 2.00
crore per annum by way of Sales tax, luxury tax
and passanger tax. In the year-2005,Tourist
arrival in the State were 7.1 million of which
2008 lakh were foreigners.
The State has a rich treasure of places of
pilgrimage and anthropological value. The State
has also the pride of being the home to Rishies
like Vyas,Prashar,Vashist, Markandey and Lamas,
etc. Hot water springs,historic forts, natural
and man-made lakes, shepherds grazing their
flock are sources of immense pleasure and joy to
the tourist.
The State Government is aiming at promoting
sustainable tourism,encouraging private sector
to develop tourism related infrastructure in the
State without disturbing the existing ecology
and environment. The main thrust is an
employment generation and promoting new concepts
of tourism in the State. In order to increase
the duration of the stay of the
visitors/tourists a special emphases is being
laid on the development of activities-based on
tourism.
For the promotion and development of the
State from tourism point of view, the Government
is focusing on the following areas : (1) History
related tourism, (2) Identification of new
areas/tourist destinations and promotion of
Village tourism. (3) Improvement of
Infrastructure, (4) Pilgrimage tourism. (5)
Tribal tourism. (6) Eco-tourism. (7) Health
tourism. (8) Promotion of Adventure tourism. (9)
Wildlife tourism. (10) Cultural tourism. For the
year 2005-06, there is an allotment of Rs.444.01
lakh for the devlopment of tourism in the State.
A sum of Rs.7.50 crore for the devlopment of
Kullu-Manali-Lahaul & Spiti and Leh Monastic
curcuit, Rs.21.00 crore for Kangra,Shimla and
Sirmaur Circuit . Rs.16.00 crore for
Bilaspur-Mandi and Chamba circuit and Rs.30.00
lakh for construction of tourism information
centre at Manali has been sanctioned by Govt. of
India, Rs.67.57 crore Central financial
assistance received for 1545 projects in respect
of festivals and other major events
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