PM’s Oct 18 visit: Key Kangra projects likely to be delayed

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 14

The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mandi on October 18 is being viewed with much speculation by the BJP cadres in the state. However, from his visit to Mandi it is being inferred that the major infrastructure projects in Kangra, the politically most significant district of the state, might be delayed.

Two major projects for which the Prime Minister was expected to lay the foundation stone are the Smart City project for Dharamsala and the Central University Himachal Pradesh. Sources here said that Prime Minister’s program in Kangra district might now be delayed. It could be scheduled after Punjab elections next year.

The union government had in the recent past gave in principal sanction of Rs 183 crores for Smart City Project Dharamsala. As per the guidelines of project, the state government was to contribute an equal amount for the project. However, Minister for Urban Development Sudhir Sharma, who represents Dharamsala Assembly constituency, had claimed that the union government had accepted the demand for providing 90 per cent grant for the project which meant that the state would have to contribute just 10 per cent of the total project cost.

However, the claim of the urban development minister meant that the union government should have sanctioned the increased amount for the project which is yet to come. The Municipal Corporation officials of Dharamsala have claimed that work on the Smart City project would begin in the month of November after the consultants are appointed.

However, the sources here said that the Prime Minister might lay the foundation stone of the project next year. The indication that the current visit of the Prime Minister does not have Kangra in its itinerary is indicative of the fact.

Another major project that has been lingering for the past six years is Central University Himachal Pradesh (CUHP). The committee appointed by the Union Ministry for Human Resources had recently approved the land suggested by state government for CUHP campus in Jadrangal area in Dharamsala assembly constituency. Already about 200 acre land has been transferred in the name of CUHP in Dehra. The BJP leaders from Dehra area had been claiming that the Prime Minister would lay the foundation stone of CUHP there. However, now it seems that the foundation stone of CUHP shall also be delayed.

Meanwhile the political leaders of BJP are agog regarding the visit of the Prime Minister in Mandi. The sources here said that Union Minister for Health JP Nadda will hold a meeting of party workers from Kangra district at Dharamsala tomorrow in view of the Prime Minister’s rally in Mandi on October 18. The meeting is being held to mobilize the party workers for the rally.

The sources here also said that the BCCI president and BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur would be holding a rally against drugs in Nurpur Assembly constituency on October 17 a day before the Prime Minister’s rally. The rally in Nurpur is being organized by the block president of the BJP in Nurpur, Ranvir Nikka. The rally was also being viewed from political perspective as former MLA from Nurpur Rakesh Pathania has returned back into party fold in the recently organized conclave of the party at Una.