Saurabh Chauhan is a correspondent reporting from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, covering Social Welfare, Women and Child Development, Agriculture. Previously reported from Mohali (Punjab), Shimla (HP) and covered Political, Civil Admin, Finance beats.
Articles by Saurabh Chauhan
With skiing creating jobs, snow (comes as) a boon for locals
Even as the continuing snowfall has ushered in difficulties for residents of the state's hilly areas by disrupting road and telecom connectivity as well as power and water supply, it has brought gainful employment to many people in Narkanda.
Updated on Jan 25, 2015 07:23 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Fire at Bhabha dam doused after 26 hours, magisterial probe ordered
After a 26 hour long operation firefighters were finally able to put out the blaze at the power house of the Sanjay Jal Vidyut Pariyojana hydroelectric power plant at Bhaba in Kinnaur district was doused. On Friday the district administration ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and asked the Nichar subdivisional magistrate to submit the report within three days.
Updated on Jan 23, 2015 10:19 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Edu dept issues notice to 302 schools over poor class 10 results
In the wake of poor class 10 examination results in 10 for the past three years, the Himachal education department has decided to issue “show cause” notices to over 300 state-run schools.
Updated on Jan 19, 2015 10:05 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Again, no Himachal tableau in R-day parade
The state has missed an opportunity to showcase its rich culture at the Republic Day parade that will be attended by United States president Barack Obama.
Updated on Jan 16, 2015 07:35 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Irked over horiticulture chief's extension, Stokes to review dept's performance
Irked over the recent move by the chief minister's office to grant an extension to horticulture director Gurudev Singh, irrigation public health minister Vidya Stokes called for a progress report of the department and Singh's performance during his tenure.
Updated on Jan 15, 2015 07:12 PM IST
Hindustantimes.com | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Over Rs 100 cr deposited in 6 lakh bank accounts under new scheme
Despite the fact that a little over one-half of the new bank savings accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana scheme have a zero balance, more than Rs 100 crore have been deposited in the rest of the over 600,000 accounts.
Updated on Jan 13, 2015 07:33 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Himachal annual plan outlay pegged at Rs 4,800 cr, up 8% over FY15
Even as uncertainty prevails over the funds allocation function of NITI Aayog, the Himachal Pradesh government likely to propose its annual plan outlay of Rs 4,800 crore, an increase of over 8% over the previous outlay.
Updated on Jan 05, 2015 07:43 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Hostellers oppose replacing temporary warden
As many as 38 girls recently left Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), Shillai, in Sirmaur district after Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) called for interview for the post of a hostel warden.
Updated on Jan 03, 2015 06:28 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Tourists throng Shimla on Christmas eve
Even as snow eluded Shimla on Christmas eve, the erstwhile British summer capital attracted large number of tourists on Thursday.
Updated on Dec 25, 2014 07:07 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Fearing revenue loss, HP wants petro goods, tobacco out of GST ambit
The cash-strapped Himachal government has again urged the central government to exclude petroleum and tobacco products from the ambit of GST (goods & services tax).
Updated on Dec 14, 2014 10:24 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Unregulated nurseries increases disease threat to Apple orchards
Even as apple growers in Himachal Pradesh have been busy rejuvenating their orchards, the risk of farm diseases has simultaneously increased with most growers being ill informed and the government apathetic about the issue.
Updated on Dec 11, 2014 06:27 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Ice skating season delayed due to repair work
Even as the mercury has dropped sharply the ongoing widening and levelling work at Asia's only natural ice skating rink has resulted in the skating season being delayed by about a week, causing disappointment among ice skaters and tourists. This is the first time that the season did not commence in the first week of December.
Updated on Dec 11, 2014 06:24 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Telemedicine services in Lahaul & Spiti to begin in March
Residents of Keylong and Kaza in tribal Lahaul & Spiti will soon be able to access services of healthcare specialists through satellite.
Updated on Dec 03, 2014 06:27 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Telemedicine services in Lahaul & Spiti to begin in March
Residents of Keylong and Kaza in Lahaul & Spiti will soon be able to access services of healthcare specialists through satellite. The state government recently approved a telemedicine project for the two tribal areas of tribal District for which it roped in Apollo Hospitals.
Updated on Dec 02, 2014 09:44 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Monsoon fury in Himachal: Affected people want timely relief
Having lost over 1,200 houses and 13,646 hectare of farmland during monsoon, timely relief and mitigation of disaster for future are in the wish list of affected people in Himachal Pradesh.
Updated on Nov 29, 2014 11:50 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Beas Tragedy: Five months after, parents await justice
Even after five months of the Thalout tragedy, where 24 engineering students from of the VNR Vignana Jyoti Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, were washed away in the Beas river, parents await strict action against the college and those responsible for the tragedy.
Updated on Nov 17, 2014 09:12 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Five months on, HP stray cattle policy yet to be implemented
Even as the panchayati raj department has asked district and block-level officials to construct ‘gosadans’ (cowsheds) to house stray cattle before April 2015, the new stray cattle policy still awaits implementation on ground.
Updated on Nov 11, 2014 12:00 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
HP fails to ensure 25% quota for poor children in private schools
Even after four years of implementation of Right to Education (RTE) Act, the state has failed to provide 25% reservation to poor students in private schools.
Updated on Nov 06, 2014 08:15 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Himachal to bring legislation to ban sale of loose cigarettes
After banning complete ban on sale of gutka, pan masala, the state government, in the next assembly session, is likely to bring legislation to ban sale of loose cigarettes across the state.
Updated on Oct 29, 2014 01:13 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Zila parishad, panchayat samitis' members oppose new funding rules
Despite the government relaxing the new guidelines, which were amended by the panchayati raj department, for allocating funds from 13th finance commission grants, members of zila parishad and panchayat samitis are still firm on their demands of restoring the old status.
Updated on Oct 26, 2014 07:12 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Education dept warns schools not to give extra work to vocational trainers
The state education department has directed schools across the state not to give non-teaching work to vocational trainers.
Updated on Oct 17, 2014 08:51 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Growing craze for online stores hits local retailers
The growing craze for online shopping is weighing heavy upon the businessmen in the Shimla city. The online stores, providing huge concessions to their customers, have adversely affected the sale of the products through retailers.
Updated on Oct 12, 2014 08:01 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Growing craze for online stores hits local retailers
The growing craze for online shopping is weighing heavy upon the businessmen in the Shimla city. The online stores, providing huge concessions to their customers, have adversely affected the sale of the products through retailers.
Updated on Oct 12, 2014 09:14 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Bus staff's misbehaviour mars journey in state
Notwithstanding the government's tall claims of ensuring convenient journey in buses in the state, more people are complaining about the misbehaviour of staff in both the private as well as the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses.
Updated on Sep 24, 2014 08:35 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
HFRI to start fuel wood, pasture development projects in Himachal
In order to make fuel wood and fodder easily available to villagers, Himalayan Forest Research Institute (HFRI), Shimla is to start village fuel wood and pasture development projects in Himahcal.
Updated on Sep 24, 2014 12:18 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Govt to launch cattle registration drive soon
As part of its efforts to tackle the menace of stray cattle, the Himachal Pradesh animal husbandry department has decided not to give medical assistance to unregistered cattle.The department also plans to launch an awareness drive and will write to village panchayats in the state to register all animals present within their areas to enable proper records to be maintained
Updated on Sep 10, 2014 09:50 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Bats become apple growers' new enemy
Besides the inclement rain, what is worrying the apple growers in Rohru and some areas of Jubbal now days the most are the bats (flying mammals), who are seen swarming in the orchards and eating into the growers' profit.
Updated on Sep 08, 2014 06:31 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Report on availability of toilet facilities in HP schools sought
After several schools across the state were found bereft of the toilet facility, the state government has sought a report from the education department on the issue.
Updated on Sep 04, 2014 03:01 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
Architects may soon be empowered to clear building maps
In a move designed to reduce unnecessary and inordinate delays involved in approval of house building maps, the Himachal Pradesh government now plans to empower architects to clear such drawings across the state. A proposal to empower architects and draftsmen to prepare and pass architectural drawings of buildings was floated after complaints about the hassles faced by the public in getting the maps passed by the urban local body or town and country planning office.
Updated on Sep 01, 2014 11:32 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla
State govt to assess skill development allowance
The Himachal government has decided to assess the skill development allowance scheme meant for educated unemployed youths.
Updated on Aug 30, 2014 07:02 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Saurabh Chauhan, Shimla