Himachal Governor stresses on public participation in accelerating development in Chamba

A comprehensive review meeting on the Aspirational District Programme was held on Sunday to assess the developmental progress and achievements in the aspirational district of Chamba and its identified development blocks, Tissa and Pangi. The meeting was presided over by Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla.

Reviewing the key performance indicators (KPIs) related to various departments, the Governor emphasised that the primary objective of the meeting was to elevate Chamba out of the aspirational district category and bring it on par with other developed districts in the state. He highlighted the importance of improvements in agriculture, healthcare, road connectivity and other critical indicators, noting that detailed discussions with public representatives, departmental officers and ministers were essential for accelerating development in these blocks.

Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, and MLAs Neeraj Nayyar and Dr Hans Raj also attended the meeting and offered significant suggestions for improving the KPIs under the programme.

Speaker Pathania advocated for special provisions under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for land acquisition in Chamba, considering its aspirational district status. He also suggested empowering the state government to approve forest land conversions of up to 5 hectares for road construction under the PMGSY. Additionally, he recommended increasing the financial assistance provided under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for hilly regions beyond the existing Rs 1.5 lakh.

MLA Neeraj Nayar called for special priority and regulatory relaxations from the Central Government to boost development in Chamba. He also sought to pace up the second phase of construction of the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba campus at Sarol.

Dr Hans Raj emphasised the need for strengthening healthcare services in the district and proposed key interventions.

The meeting also featured a discussion on promoting responsible tourism in Chamba. Experts from various states shared their experiences and provided insightful suggestions for sustainable tourism development.

Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal assured that the directives and guidance provided by the Governor would be implemented in letter and spirit.

MLA DS Thakur; Secretary to the Governor CP Verma; ADM Amit Mehra; SDM Priyanshu Khati; AC to DC Aparajita Chandel; Superintending Engineer of the Public Works Department Diwakar Singh Pathania; and Superintending Engineer of Jal Shakti Department Rajesh Mongra were among others present on the occasion.