Ahead of PM Modi's visit, Himachal CM Sukhu demands policy on sustainable development in hill states 

Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to Kangra today, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh today said he would not only place the pain of people of Himachal before Narendra Modi but would request for  formulation of a national policy for sustainable development in the hill states to protect the mountains from crumbling.

The Chief Minister, in his post on X, hours before arrival of Modi at the Gaggal airport in Kangra today, said people of Himachal welcome the PM on his visit to Himachal at a time when the state has witnessed unprecedented devastation during the monsoons. “The beautiful state of Himachal is today suffering the pain of losing loved ones, villages being buried under debris and extensive damage to roads and electricity supply. Himachal has suffered immense pain since 2023,” he wrote.

He said a very vital question that he would raise before the PM is whether the development model being followed in the hill states is sustainable. “The larger question is as to how we can save the mountains from the adverse impact of climate change. We need to have a sustainable development model which can protect the natural resources of the state and keep the mountains safe and protected,” Sukhu wrote.

Sukhu said he would urge the PM to initiate discussions without further delay on formulation of a strategy for sustainable development in the hill states. “It is not just the question of re-settling those whose houses have been destroyed in the rains but also protect the mountains from getting destroyed,” he wrote.

The Chief Minister said he would also urge the Prime Minister to grant relaxation in the Forest Conservation Act to facilitate grant of forest land to people who have been rendered landless as their lands have been washed away in the flash floods and cloud bursts.