Cong gave IIT, medical college to Mandi: Pratibha

r Correspondent

KULLU, OCTOBER 26

Congress candidate for the Mandi byelection Pratibha Singh said today that the Rohtang tunnel was proposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The first installment of Rs 1,355 crore for the project was released by the UPA government led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after all four MPs from Himachal, including herself, apprised him about the strategic importance of the tunnel.

Pratibha held election meetings in Kais, Bashing, Benchi, Patlikul, Naggar, Nashala and Jagatsukh in the Manali Assembly Constituency. She said that the BJP renamed the tunnel as the Atal Tunnel without any mention of the efforts of Congress leaders. It also removed the plaque of foundation stone laying by the then UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

She said, “BJP leaders are making false allegations and raising questions about the works I had done during my tenure as an MP”. She said that she had raised the demand of an IIT with the Centre and as a result the ninth IIT of India was set up at Kamand in Mandi district. The Congress government provided land for the project.

She said that she had raised the issue of health services to the people of the region with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh because of which a medical college was set up at Nerchowk in Mandi district. Drinking water facilities were augmented after she approached the then Union IPH Minister Harish Rawat and a budget was also provided by the Centre.

Pratibha said that she had raised various other issues of people during her two terms as MP from Mandi. She recalled the works done by her husband and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and appealed to the people to vote for her to pay homage to their beloved leader.