Government secured approval for Rs 903 crore projects from NABARD, says Sukhu

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state government secured the approval for 127 projects worth Rs 903.21 crore from NABARD in the current financial year. The CM said this while chairing a meeting with MLAs from Kangra, Kullu and Kinnaur districts to discuss their priorities for the 2025-26 Budget here today.

The CM said these projects included 50 MLA priority schemes under the Public Works Department worth Rs 412.75 crore and 23 schemes under the Jal Shakti Vibhag amounting to Rs 179.07 crore. “These schemes include two major initiatives of the state, including the establishment of a 1.5 lakh litre per day (LLPD) capacity dairy processing plant at Dagwar in Kangra district and 96 electric bus charging stations,” he said.

The Chief Minister stated that efforts were being made to secure approval for more MLA-priority projects from NABARD by March, 2025. “Apart from this, the government has allocated Rs 1087.77 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for 2024-25, with 5.28 per cent increase as compared to previous year,” he said.

Sukhu said the state government was working with the motto of ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’ for overall and inclusive development. He said significant decisions had been taken over the past two years in the sectors like education, healthcare, self-employment, tourism, infrastructure, agriculture, horticulture, industry and women and child development. “The government has increased the daily wages of the MNREGA workers from Rs 240 to Rs 300, benefitting thousands of workers,” he said.

He said in the upcoming three years, the state government would introduce various schemes for strengthening the rural economy which would generate employment opportunities for the local youth. “Efforts were also being made to boost tourism in the state, with a special focus on religious and tea tourism,” he said, adding that the tea tourism model of West Bengal would also be studied for possible implementation in the state.

He further said the government was working to root out drug mafia from the state and assured that stricter measures would be enforced in the near future.