Rs 75 cr released for HP SHIVA project

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 11

Asian Development Bank has released an instalment of Rs 75 crore for Himachal Pradesh Sub-Tropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition project (HP SHIVA). The project aims at giving a boost to the plantation of sub-tropical fruits like orange, litchi, pomegranate and guava in lower regions and making the state the fruit bowl of the country.

“Rs 75 crore has been given as Project Readiness Financing. The amount will be used on the pilot project going on in four districts, namely Bilaspur, Kangra, Mandi and Hamirpur,” said Joint Director, Project, Devender Thakur. “The main project will begin from 2023 and will continue until 2028-29.”

The Horticulture Department has formed 17 clusters covering an area of 170 hectare for ultra high density plantation of selected fruits in these four districts.

The other activities, to be undertaken with the Rs 75 crore loan, include providing irrigation schemes and fencing the clusters to save them from animals. The main project, which will ensue after the completion of the pilot project, will cover seven districts and many more hectares of land.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government of India, state government and the Asian Development Bank last December for allotting Rs 1,000 crore for the first phase of the project. Under this project, those areas have been given priority where horticulture is not practised or people have given up farming because of wild animals.