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The Himachal Pradesh government has secured approval from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for 127 projects worth ?903.21 crore for the 2024-25 financial year, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced recently. Speaking at a budget priorities meeting with MLAs from Kangra, Kullu, Kinnaur, Solan, Chamba, Bilaspur, and Lahaul-Spiti districts, Sukhu stated that the approved projects include 50 MLA-priority schemes under the Public Works Department, valued at ?412.75 crore, and 23 MLA-priority schemes under the Jal Shakti Vibhag, worth ?179.07 crore. Key projects include the establishment of a 1.5 LLPD capacity dairy processing plant in Kangra’s Dagwar and the development of 96 electric bus charging stations, Sukhu added. He emphasized the government’s commitment to equitable development across all assembly constituencies, stating that NABARD funding approvals were granted without bias. Over the past two years, NABARD has sanctioned ?1,691 crore for 251 projects in Himachal, he noted. BJP Boycotts Budget Meeting However, the opposition BJP boycotted the meeting, with Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur accusing the government of inaction. Thakur claimed that despite repeated requests, priority projects proposed by BJP MLAs over the past two years had not progressed beyond the DPR stage. The chief minister is misleading the people. The funds allocated by the Centre for infrastructure are being diverted to pay salaries and pensions, violating financial norms, Thakur alleged. The MLA-priorities meeting, a decades-old routine exercise, is set to continue with district-wise discussions on February 3 and 4. However, the BJP has announced its intent to boycott the upcoming sessions as well. Focus on Rural Economy & Tourism Sukhu also revealed that the state government has allocated ?1,087.77 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for 2024-25, marking a 5.28% increase from the previous year. Over the next three years, the government plans to launch initiatives aimed at strengthening the rural economy and generating employment for local youth. Additionally, efforts are underway to boost tourism, with a particular focus on religious and tea tourism. Sukhu mentioned that the state is considering adopting West Bengal’s tea tourism model. He reiterated the government’s commitment to cracking down on the drug mafia, promising stricter enforcement measures in the near future. Several Congress MLAs, including Malender Rajan (Indora), Kamlesh Thakur (Dehra), and Sanjay Rattan (Jawalamukhi), attended the meeting and put forward their respective constituency priorities. |
