The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill that imposes stringent provisions against illicit liquor trade, including severe punishment for involving minors in illegal activities.  All offenses of illicit liquor manufacturing, trafficking and consumption under the Himachal Pradesh Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2024 would be cognisable and properties acquired by illegal means would be confiscated. During a discussion on the Bill in the legislative assembly, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that besides provisions to regulate manufacture, sale and transportation of liquor, making penal provision more stringent and streamlining its enforcement was imperative.  Amendments have been made in 13 sections of the parent Bill, Sukhu said. The Bill provides for increasing the fine for various offenses from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and adds provisions of severe punishment for liquor adulteration, mixing harmful elements in trade and involving minors in illicit activities, the chief minister said. Sukhu said all offences under the Bill would be cognisable, implying that offenders could be arrested by enforcement agencies without any warrant. The objective is to put in place a strong enforcement structure to deal with the offenses, he said. POLITICAL, POPULATION AND TOPOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR OPENING NEW INSTITUTES  New government institutions in Himachal Pradesh would be opened based on "political, population and topological considerations", Chief Minister Sukhu in the state assembly on Thursday. The government opened institutions in the constituencies that were neglected during the past five years.  However, the current government would ensure the availability of necessary facilities, posts and adequate staff before opening the institutions, so that peoples problems could be solved in time, Sukhu said responding to a question by BJPs Randhir Sharma.  Leader of the opposition Jai Ram Thakur asked about the difference between the division opened by the BJP government and the division opened by the present government.  When Jai Ram pointed out that institutions functioning for six months were closed in his constituency and asked whether these institutions were on need-basis, the chief minister said institutions would be opened keeping in view the political, population and topological considerations.   STATE GOVT TO BEAR 28 PC OF SHIMLAS ROPEWAY PROJECT  Himachal government would bear only 28 percent cost of Rs 1,734.70 crore Shimla Innovative Urban Transportation Ropeway Network Project, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said in the state assembly on Thursday. The 13.65 km long Ropeway from Tara Devi to Shimla would be executed on EPS (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) mode, he said in a written response to a question by BJPs Sudhir Sharma. The rate of interest would be finalised after a tripartite agreement between the state government, Finance Ministry and Department of Economic Affairs and Government of India, he said. The fare for commuters has not been decided yet. Tenders for advance purchases would be invited only after approval from National Development Bank. The contribution of the state government would be 20 percent while NDB funding would be 80 percent of which 90 percent would be subsidy and 10 percent would be loans. Adding the loan component, the contribution of the state government would be 28 percent, Sukhu added.

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