Himachal: Kangra's Shahpur gets development projects worth Rs 77 cr

According to an official release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), "CM Sukhu laid the foundation stone of Rs 56.56 crore Sewage Treatment Plant and Augmentation of Drinking Water Scheme Nagar Panchayat Shahpur."

He also laid the foundation stone of a Water Treatment Plant for various Water Supply Schemes at a cost of Rs 13.71 crore in the Shahpur area to improve the quality of water, it said.

Further, he also laid the foundation stone worth Rs 5 crore for the replacement of old pumping machinery of various lifted drinking water schemes.

He also performed the foundation stone ceremony of the Farmer Facilitation Center Building Shahpur under Crop Diversification Promotion Project-2 at a cost of Rs 50 lakh and inaugurated the additional building of Shahpur Rest House at a cost of Rs 80 lakh, said the release.

Addressing a public meeting at Dussehra ground Shahpur, the Chief Minister said that a milk plant at a cost of Rs 250 crore was being set up in Dhagwar in Kangra district which will go a long way in ensuring the lucrative prices to the farmers in the area, it said.

The Chief Minister also announced a provision of Rs 3,000 crore for the expansion of Kangra Airport and rehabilitation works. He said that the government would make serious efforts to resettle the people to were displaced due to the expansion of the airport.

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that work on various projects was afoot to develop Kangra district as the tourism capital of the State. He said that the Zoological Park will be set up in Bankhandi in the Dehra area of the district at a cost of Rs 400 crore, said the CMO.

As per the release, CM Sukhu said that adventure water sports and related activities would be started to promote tourism activities in the Pong Dam area which will go a long way in attracting the tourists to this area.

He said that earnest efforts were being made to make Himachal Pradesh a self-reliant State in the next four years and one of the prosperous States of the country in the next ten years.

The Chief Minister also said that former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar is a visionary leader and lauded the efforts of the present State Government for tackling the natural disaster effectively.

He said that for seeking disaster relief, the state government has sent the estimate of loss of Rs 12 thousand crore to the central government but to date, no special package has been provided to the state by the central government, said the release.

He alleged that BJP leaders have not raised their voices for seeking grants from the Central Government for relief and rehabilitation works and are merely making hue and cry for the sake of political gains.

CM Sukhu assured the people of the area that the State Government would fulfil their demands in times to come. He presented cheques of assistance for skill development, higher education and house construction to nine orphaned children of the Kangra district under the Mukhya Mantri Sukh Ashraya Yojana in the Shahpur area.

Chief Minister Sukhu also provided Rs 5.87 lakh to Pragati of Dharamshala, Rs 4.98 lakh to Sahil Chaudhary of Shahpur, Rs 2.34 lakh to Vivek of Dharamshala for starting their avocations.

Rs 3.15 lakh was also given to Rohit Kumar of Shahpur for the construction of a house, He also presented financial assistance to five orphan children Nisha Devi, Anuradha, Palak Choudhary, Sachin and Vidushi for pursuing higher education, said the release.

Earlier, Shahpur MLA Kewal Singh Pathania welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for providing ten developmental schemes worth about Rs 77 crore in the Shahpur Assembly constituency. He expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister for providing 6 Kanal land for ECHS.

As per the release, CM Sukhu said that during the tenure of the present government, development in Shahpur Legislative Assembly is progressing by leaps and bounds. Various organizations and individuals also contributed towards Aapda Rahat Kosh and the Chief Minister Relief Fund on the occasion.

Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar, Chairman, State Tourism Corporation R.S. Bali, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Kishori Lal, MLAs Sanjay Ratan, Malendra Rajan and Sudhir Sharma, Chairman, Kangra Central Cooperative Bank Kuldeep Pathania, Chairman, State Agricultural Development Bank Sanjay Chauhan, Former MLA Ajay Mahajan and Surinder Kaku, Chairman, Krishi Bank Ram Chand Pathania, District Congress President Karan Pathania, BCC President Surjit Rana and various dignitaries were also present on the occasion. (ANI)