Himachal CM Virbhadra declares Dharamsala as second capital of state

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 19

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday formally declared Dharamsala, situated in the majestic Dhauladhar range, as the second capital of Himachal Pradesh.

Camping in the city on his winter sojourn, the chief minister said Dharamsala has significance and history of its own and fully deserved to be the second capital of the state.

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He said the city held special importance and value in the lower areas of the state, including Kangra, Chamba, Hamirpur and Una districts.

The people of these areas would now benefit because of this special status and they would not have to travel to Shimla for their work.

He said Dharamsala was already marked prominently not only in the map of India but of the world due to its significance, including religious, and adventure tourism.

Terming Dharamsala the home of the Dalai Lama, which attracted people from across the world, he said prominent personalities of the world visited this hill town throughout the year.

Virbhadra 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 a witness of holding 12 winter sessions of Vidhan Sabha.

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