Sukhu pushes tourism, welfare agenda in Kangra

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday reaffirmed that the state government has officially designated Kangra district as the “Tourism capital of Himachal Pradesh”, stating that multiple tourism-centric projects were underway to strengthen the region’s economic prospects.

Addressing the ‘Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar’ programme at Tangroti in the Dharamsala Assembly constituency, the Chief Minister interacted with local residents and heard their grievances. During the programme, he announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh each for local Mahila Mandals, along with funds for the Ramed-Tangroti link road, the tarring of the Tangroti link road and several other adjoining rural roads. These interventions, he said, would not only improve connectivity but also boost the income of local communities in the years ahead.

Sukhu said the government had released Rs 460 crore for the expansion of the Kangra airport, enabling the landing of larger aircraft and giving a substantial push to tourism inflow. “This will transform the region’s tourism potential and create new livelihood avenues,” he remarked. Commenting on the recent byelections, the Chief Minister alleged that the BJP had secured the Dharamsala seat through “false propaganda”. He said Congress candidate Devinder Singh Jaggi lost by a narrow margin to a turncoat candidate who had shifted to the BJP.

Highlighting his government’s focus on improving key public sectors, Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh had recently achieved full literacy with a literacy rate of 99.30 per cent, ranking among the top five states in reading and writing proficiency. He added that due to reforms introduced by the present government, the state now stands at the fifth position in national rankings for qualitative education, an improvement from the 21st rank during the previous BJP regime.

On the health front, he said significant advancements had been achieved for the first time, including the introduction of robotic surgery at Chamiyana Hospital in Shimla and Tanda Medical College in Kangra, modelled on AIIMS standards. The government has also sanctioned Rs 28 crore for a PET scan facility at Tanda, while advanced CT scan and X-ray machines are being installed across the state.