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11th, Feburary, 2022

Himachal becomes the first State in the country to collect Green Tax with NETC FASTag Barrier.

With the assistance of the Department and with the association of IDFC Bank and NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India), the Kullu district administration has grounded the idea of a contactless Tax collection in the State.
With this effort, Himachal Pradesh has become the first State in the country to set up first-ever NETC FASTag Barrier to collect Green Tax. This barrier has been set up at the entry point of Manali which has the largest tourist footfall in the State. Tourists arriving in Manali will now be able to pay the green tax hassle-free at the automated FASTag Barrier.

NETC FASTag Barrier will facilitate not only the tourists entering the State but also curb revenue losses which were happening due to pilferage at Tax Collection Points. Tourists arriving in Manali can now pay their green tax without any hassle via FASTag at the Aloo Ground Barrier making the entire tax collection contactless. Managed by Kullu Tourism Development Council, this initiative will play a vital role in maintaining the efficiency and transparency in the collection of green tax via NETC FASTag.
With the innovative FASTag enabled barrier, tourists will be able to avoid long queues and traffic as, before this, the green tax was collected manually in cash, taking plenty of the time of the tourists. The newly inaugurated FASTag Barrier at Manali is a step further in helping Government of India attain the objective of a less-cash economy. This initiative will also provide a fillip in digital transactions and promote the usage of digital payments in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

(Source: HP Government)

The 9.02 km Atal Tunnel at Rohtang, located at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet and connecting Manali with Lahaul, has been recognized by the World Book of Records, London, as the longest highway tunnel in the world at this height. A Border Roads Organization (BRO) spokesperson said that a certificate had been received from the World Book of Records that the Atal Tunnel is the longest tunnel in the world at an altitude of above 10,000 feet.
The south portal of the tunnel is located at Dhundi, near Manali, at a height of 9,840 feet while the north portal at Sissu in the Lahaul valley is located at a height of 10,171 feet. The tunnel has reduced the distance between Manali and Keylong by 46 km, saving over two hours of travel time and providing all weather connectivity.

Strabag Afcons Joint Venture had constructed the tunnel in 10 years at a cost of Rs 3,200 crore.
It is the world’s first tunnel having 4G internet connectivity. There are CCTV cameras at every 60 meters in the tunnel and surveillance is done through the control room. Emergency exit doors have been installed in the tunnel at every 150 meters.
Any person can open this door and quickly communicate with the control room with one-touch panic button. The emergency exit door also opens the way for the escape tunnel after every 500 meters, which is built just below the main tunnel.
In case of damage to the main tunnel, an escape tunnel has been made as an alternative means to evacuate people, one end of which opens in the north portal and the other in the south portal. The tunnel was dedicated to the public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3, 2020.

(Source: HP Tribune)

Governor stresses the need to involve NCC and NSS cadets in road safety awareness campaigns.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has expressed concern over the incidents of road accidents in Himachal Pradesh.
He said that Road Safety Week are organized as regular affairs and stressed on the need to organize awareness campaigns in schools to make them more effective.
The governor stressed on the need to involve NCC and NSS cadets in awareness campaigns to educate the masses especially youths regarding road safety norms. He added that special road safety campaigns should be launched in the state.

(Source: HP Government)

11th, Feburary, 2022