State govt to improve air connectivity in Himachal: CM Sukhu

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 6 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said that his government is committed to improving air connectivity in the state.

He said that the State Government has initiated the process of land acquisition for its expansion and assured that the state government would provide government land to the displaced people whose land would be acquired in the expansion process so that no one is left homeless.

CM Sukhu further mentioned to develop Kangra district as the 'Tourism Capital' of the State and added that to enhance the footfall of International and domestic tourists, Kangra airport would be expanded to achieve this goal.

"Expansion of Kangra Airport would bring economic prosperity to the region," CM Sukhu said.

He said that efforts were afoot to improve air connectivity including the construction of a hangar for choppers in Palampur.

CM Sukhu also virtually laid the foundation stone of the Modern Police Station at Shahpur to be constructed with an outlay of rupees five crore from Chandigarh today.

"Government plans to allocate Rs 70 crore for the Shahpur-Fatehpur road project and has provided funds for Rehan College. Furthermore, approval has been granted for the opening of a Police Station in Bir," CM Sukhu said.

The Chief Minister said that the present State Government is committed to ensuring balanced and uniform development of the entire State by rising above regional sentiments.

He said that the State Government was working to attract investments in the IT sector in the State.

In ITI Shahpur, a training course has been started to train drone pilots and mechanics for desirous aspirants. Despite the state's challenging economic condition, the Chief Minister assured that there would be no shortage of funds for development

"State Government has provided old pension scheme to its employees so that they could live secure and respectable life during their old age," he said.

He criticized the previous BJP government for neglecting the state's interests in various projects, particularly in power projects undertaken by SJVN.

"During the tenure of the previous BJP government, nothing was done in the name of investment, except draining the States resources," he said.

CM Sukhu said that a Cabinet Sub-Committee led by Agriculture Minister Prof Chander Kumar, has been formed to pursue a 7.19 percent share of Himachal Pradesh in Chandigarh.

Agriculture Minister Prof. Chander Kumar said that the present State Government was taking various initiatives to make Himachal Pradesh a prosperous and self-reliant State. He said that various steps had been taken by the Government to strengthen the economy of the State and the Congress Government was focusing on the overall development of the State besides all promises made during the assembly elections would be fulfilled in a phased manner.