Dharamsala declared second capital

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 19

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today formally declared Dharamsala, situated in the snow-capped majestic and mighty Dhauladhar range, as the second capital of Himachal Pradesh.

Camping at Dharamsala these days during the second week of his annual winter sojourn, he made this declaration after news appeared in sections of the media which said that the state government was thinking over declaring Dharamsala as winter capital of the state for two months in a year, the official spokesperson of government said.

The Chief Minister said that Dharamsala had a significance and history of its own and fully deserved to be the second capital of the state.

He said that Dharamsala held a special importance and value to the lower areas of Himachal Pradesh, including Kangra, Chamba, Hamirpur and Una districts. The people of these areas would now be benefitted because of this special status and they would not have to travel to Shimla for their works.

He said that Dharamsala was already marked prominently not only in the map of India but of the world due to its significance owing to many reasons, including religious, natural and adventurous tourism. He said that Dharamsala was the home of the Dalai Lama and attracted the people across the world. Prominent personalities of the world visited this hilly town throughout the year.

The Chief Minister said a full-fledged Winter Session of the Vidhan Sabha was held for the first time outside Shimla in December, 2005. A complete Vidhan Sabha Bhawan was already working at Tapovan for which the foundation was laid in his last tenure in 2006. This town had already been witness to holding 12 winter sessions of HP Vidhan Sabha so for.

Virbhadra Singh said that it was he, who introduced the practice of annual winter sojourn way back in 1994 to hear the grievances of the people and see for himself the progress of development works being carried out in the area.