Tragedy unfolded with 147 people dying in a temple stampede in Himachal Pradesh which witnessed tense moments this year due to spirited protests by Tibetan exiles.
SHIMLA: Tragedy unfolded with 147 people dying in a temple stampede in Himachal Pradesh which witnessed some tense moments this year due to spirited protests by Tibetan exiles.
The state which saw a drop in tourist arrivals did get a high with UNESCO recognising the century-old Kalka-Shimla railway track.
With an eye on the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the BJP government led by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal toiled throughout the year to maintain a hold on its electoral base, doling out sops.
The state was hit by one of the worst tragedies in recent times when a stampede at Nainadevi temple in Bilaspur district resulted in death of 147 people on August 5.
A rumour regarding landslide in Nainadhar mountain triggered the tragedy resulting in death of devotees mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.
The state, having headquarters of Tibetan government in exile at Dharamshala, saw heightened security as Tibetan exiles organised marches to Tibet where riots had erupted in March. Hundreds of Tibetan protestors were arrested in Kangra, Una and Sirmaur districts during the agitation.
Additional security arrangements were made when hundreds of prominent exiled gathered for a five-day crucial conclave in Dharamshala in November.
Dhumal, who took over as Chief Minister for the second time, claimed to have fulfilled most of the promises made by the BJP in its manifesto within a short span of 11 months.
Among them raising social security pension from Rs 200 to Rs 330 and minimum wage from Rs 75 to Rs 100.
Senior party leader Shanta Kumar who crossed swords with Dhumal during his earlier term has called a truce with the Chief Minister.
The ruling BJP got a boost recently when lone BSP MLA Sanjay Chaudhary joined saffron brigade taking its strength to 42 in the 68-member state assembly.
The Congress which lost in the assembly elections is yet to settle down. Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Vidya Stokes and former chief minister Virbhadra Singh are still at loggerheads.
The party in an attempt to put its house in order appointed Kaul Singh Thakur as the state president, but the effort failed.
Despite being one of the most sought after destinations in the country, tourists inflow to the sate was badly hit this year due to Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan.
A considerable number of tourist bookings from Gujarat, Maharashtra and other states whose rail link passes through Rajasthan were cancelled.
Nestled in the lap of nature, the state got a major boost in the field of tourism when UNESCO included the 105-year-old old Kalka-Shimla railway in the world heritage list in July.
The state also witnessed some major road mishaps. Forty six people lost lives when a state bus plunged into a gorge near Theog in rural Shimla on November 4.
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