Central team to visit mountain township site near Shimla

Shimla, July 31

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A team from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Development will visit the site of the proposed mountain township at Jathia Devi near here, which will help decongest Shimla.

The state government has come up with a detailed project report (DPR) for the Rs 500-crore mountain township project. It has sought funding from the Union Ministry under the Mountain Township Scheme for which five states could get Rs 500 to Rs 800 crore.

Four other states in race

• Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh are competing to get the mountain township project under a central scheme
• It will be allotted to any of these states based on the report of the Union ministry’s team and that state will get Rs 500 to Rs 800 crore for the project
• The proposed mountain township at Jathia Devi, near Shimla, aims at decongesting the state capital

The four other states competing with Himachal to get the project are Sikkim, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The project will be allotted to any of these states based on the report of the team of the Union ministry.

The state had, in fact, sought Rs 1,300 crore for the project. However, on the recommendation of the Union ministry, the project cost has been scaled down to Rs 500 crore.

The coming up of the township is aimed at decongesting the state capital that is bursting at seams with a population of almost three lakh, besides the floating tourist numbers. Despite the successive governments expressing keenness on decongesting the state capital, no concrete steps have been taken in this direction.

The Himachal Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) had acquired 35 hectares at Jathia Devi, 13 km from here. However, around 100 hectares more would have to be acquired for the full-fledged self-sustaining township. It will have all facilities, including hospitals, colleges, schools, banks and parks, so that a sizeable population in Shimla considers moving to Jathia Devi.

The state government could even consider shifting some of its offices from Shimla to Jathia Devi so that people consider settling there permanently. This will help in reducing the traffic congestion in Shimla and reduce pressure on civic amenities.

Earlier plans of the Congress regime headed by Virbhadra Singh to set up a satellite township at Jathia Devi had failed to take off. Although an agreement was signed with a Singapore-based firm for the setting up of the project, it failed to materialise.