Chandigarh, March 9
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Prem Kumar Dhumal today resolved many outstanding issues by signing a string of agreements to boost infrastructure development in the two states.
At a closed-door meeting held this morning at the residence of Badal, the two decided to sign a power banking agreement to meet power shortage in the states in peak seasons besides agreeing to start work on the Chandigarh-Baddi road, which will reduce commuting time to Himachal’s industrial belt by 30 km. A go-ahead has also been given to the completion of the Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi ropeway project, long in demand for religious reasons. The project has been awaiting completion since it was signed by Badal and Dhumal during their
previous regime.
The two states further decided to extend to Baddi the express highway, which will come up between Ambala and the international airport at Mohali. Punjab went a step further by promising to rationalise the tax regime on taxis entering its territory. The move will facilitate transport between Chandigarh, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
Meanwhile, Punjab also agreed to the construction of 15 km, its part of the Chandigarh-Baddi road, from Siswan. The project will have three bridges, and is slated to be complete by June, 2009. The decision is part of the BJP-ruled states’ strategy to resolve personal issues in the wake of centre’s “neglect” on certain fronts, the Chandigarh-Baddi rail link being one.
The Chief Ministers also signed
a power banking agreement under which Himachal Pradesh would offer assured power to Punjab in
peak summer season when the demand in Punjab is high vis-à-vis supply. This will be in return for Punjab giving assured power to Himachal during peak winter months when the production in the hill state fails to meet the demand. The move will boost agriculture/development activities in both states by bridging the gap between demand and supply. Punjab has further proposed a 100-MW hydroelectric power project in Himachal Pradesh.
Another development of the day was the neighbouring states’ agreement to move ahead on the Shah Nahar project issue. The project was inked between then Punjab Chief Minister Darbara Singh and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, but nothing concrete came out of it. “We have fixed up a meeting with the Planning Commission of India and will soon resolve this issue,” said Dhumal.
