Dar Ovais is the Dharamshala-based correspondent in the Himachal Pradesh bureau of Hindustan Times. He covers politics, tourism, Tibetan affairs and environmental issues.
Articles by Dar Ovais
FM promises special grant to disaster-hit Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu says there is no mention of the amount the state will get, dubs the budget as a ‘political compulsion to appease allies’
Updated on Jul 24, 2024 05:14 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Foreign tourist arrivals in Hiamchal set to touch post-Covid peak
Himachal has already logged 38,882 tourist arrivals till June and is primed to surpass the 63,000 who visited the state in 2023
Updated on Jul 23, 2024 10:14 AM IST
Renewed hope for exiled Tibetans as US President signs Resolve Tibet Act into law
This comes weeks after a bipartisan delegation from the US House of Representatives met the 14th Dalai Lama in McLeodganj near Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh
Updated on Jul 22, 2024 06:20 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Monsoon dampens Himachal’s tourism, hotel occupancy plunges
Hoteliers in Dharamshala said during the peak tourism season, which starts from mid-April till the first week of July, the hotel occupancy rates remain higher
Updated on Jul 19, 2024 09:24 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Year after monsoon mayhem, Himachal dams yet to install early warning system
The Himachal government claims that it has made most preparations needed to tackle monsoon-triggered disasters
Updated on Jul 18, 2024 05:34 AM IST
Congress trumps BJP 2-1 in Himachal bypoll battle
Congress back in comfortable position with 40 MLAs, the same number it had after the 2022 Himachal assembly polls
Updated on Jul 13, 2024 10:14 PM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur wins Dehra byelection
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu thanks people for rejecting politics of horse-trading as Congress heads wins Nalagarh but loses Hamirpur by slender margin.
Updated on Jul 13, 2024 02:15 PM IST
All eyes on Dehra as counting for Himachal assembly bypolls to take place today
The Congress, which already had 38 legislators in the 68-member assembly, had gone on an offensive by fielding CM Sukvinder Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur from Dehra
Updated on Jul 13, 2024 09:10 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Kangra airport expansion: HP govt extends deadline for land acquisition
According to a notification issued by HP’s Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation, the publication of declaration and summary of Rehabilitation and Resettlement under section 19 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, can now be completed by October 13.
Updated on Jul 12, 2024 07:54 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Votes in, Nalagarh leads with 78% turnout
Voting started at 7 am at the 315 polling stations and by 6 pm, the voter turnout percentages in Nalagarh, Hamirpur and Dehra stood at 78%, 67.7% and 65.42% respectively
Updated on Jul 11, 2024 09:28 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Himachal bylections: Voting underway in three assembly constituencies
Voter turnout in Dehra, Nalagarh, and Hamirpur assembly constituencies were 46.47%, 51.59% and 47.05%, respectively, till 1pm; results on July 13.
Updated on Jul 10, 2024 03:14 PM IST
Himachal bypolls a prestige battle for Sukhvinder Sukhu, Anurag Thakur
The stakes are high for chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who has spearheaded the campaign for Congress and his wife Kamlesh Thakur, as well as Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur
Updated on Jul 10, 2024 07:12 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Rally blitzkrieg as campaigning ends in Himachal, ball in voters’ court
From roadshows to public meetings, the leaders from the two principal parties – the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaigned aggressively to woo voters in this high-stakes electoral battle
Updated on Jul 09, 2024 09:32 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Growers worried as climate woes hit Himachal’s tea production
Tea planters say that the state faced a prolonged dry spell in the winter season, followed by insufficient rainfall from March onwards, compounding the woes of the Himachal tea industry
Published on Jul 08, 2024 06:27 PM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Exiled Tibetans find echoes of home during Dalai Lama 89th birthday celebrations
Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang attended the function as the chief guest, while Arunachal Pradesh MP Tapir Gao also attended the function at Tsuglakhang Temple at McLeodganj near Dharamshala
Updated on Jul 07, 2024 05:24 PM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Himachal bypolls: Parties make last-ditch efforts to woo voters as campaigning nears end
The leaders of both the rival parties – Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party– continued to campaign aggressively to secure win in the forthcoming bypolls
Updated on Jul 06, 2024 05:20 AM IST
Himachal assembly bypolls: Local issues take a backseat amid mud-slinging
Notably, the youth in Hamirpur have repeatedly raked up unemployment, while Dehra awaits an end to the water crisis and the construction of Central University campus
Updated on Jul 05, 2024 09:50 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Fired up by Kamlesh’s entry, Cong looks to turn tables on BJP in Dehra
Congress has never won the seat, carved out in 2010, during any prior election, but the presence of a high-profile name has energised party cadre
Updated on Jul 03, 2024 06:08 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Himachal saw 49% rain deficit this June
Himachal received only 51 mm rainfall between June 1 and 30, compared to the average of 101.5 mm expected during this period
Updated on Jul 02, 2024 09:34 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
A season of plenty: Kangra bucks the national trend with surge in mango yield
Mango production in Kangra is expected to exceed 23,000 metric tonne this year, up from 16,800 MT in 2023
Updated on Jul 01, 2024 07:44 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Combative Congress, confident BJP battle for Hamirpur seat in Himachal assembly bypolls
The last time that the Congress won the seat, which has also been held by former CM PK Dhumal was in 2003
Updated on Jun 28, 2024 09:34 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Learning lessons from unhealed scars as Mandi readies for another bout with monsoon
While significant progress has been made in mitigating the losses and fixing the damage caused, people in Mandi are yet to fully recover from the devastation caused by the deluge
Updated on Jun 27, 2024 09:50 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
A sip of serenity: Plans brew to take Kangra tea tourism forward, stakeholders bat for state policy
Production has plummeted in recent years and hovers around 9 to 10 lakh kg, down from 17 to 18 lakh kg produced a few decades ago
Published on Jun 23, 2024 09:26 PM IST
Dar Ovais, Palampur
Himachal bypolls: Cong’s Kamlesh Thakur, Pushpinder Verma; BJP’s Hoshyar Singh file nomination papers
Besides Sukhu, Kamlesh was accompanied by state Congress chief Pratibha Singh and former Dehra candidate Rajesh Sharma. In her electoral debut she is pitted against former Independent legislator Hoshyar Singh who is contesting as a BJP candidate this time
Updated on Jun 22, 2024 06:52 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Electoral debut: Himachal CM Sukhu’s wife begins campaign in Dehra
In her electoral debut Himachal CM Sukhu’s wife is pitted against former independent legislator Hoshiyar Singh who is contesting as a BJP candidate this time. She began her election campaign by paying obeisance at the historic Lakshmi Narayan Temple at Chanaur in Kangra district.
Updated on Jun 21, 2024 06:18 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
Pelosi hails legacy of Dalai Lama, hits out at China, Xi
The visit comes days after the US Congress passed a bill urging China to re-engage with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders to resolve the dispute over the status of Tibet
Updated on Jun 20, 2024 06:18 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
US lawmakers meet Dalai Lama, warn China on choice of successor
Delegation head Michael McCaul says members, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, defied Chinese Communist Party warning against coming to Dharamshala.
Updated on Jun 19, 2024 08:54 PM IST
Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur is Congress pick for Dehra bypoll
Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur will take on BJP’s Hoshiyar Singh, who had beaten Congress’ Rajesh Sharma in the 2022 assembly polls, as an independent
Updated on Jun 19, 2024 09:24 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
“Strong message to China,” US delegation reaches Dharmshala to meet Dalai Lama
US bipartisan delegation, including Pelosi and McCaul, visits Dharamshala to meet Dalai Lama after US Congress passes Resolve Tibet Act. China urges Biden not to sign.
Updated on Jun 19, 2024 09:22 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
US base jumper’s body found 4 days after he went missing near Spiti’s Tashigang
Police in Kaza had received information about the base jumper, who had been wandering in Spiti Valley, going missing on June 13
Updated on Jun 17, 2024 08:30 AM IST
Dar Ovais, Dharamshala
