Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday called on Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman at New Delhi and urged for an increase in borrowing limit of the state.
During the meeting, the chief minister apprised Union minister Sitharaman of the financial situation of Himachal Pradesh and urged for increasing the borrowing limit of the state. He also informed the Union minister about the massive losses incurred due to recent heavy rains and flash-floods in the state and urged the Centre for assistance.
Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing large scale destruction since the onset of monsoon in the state. As per the state disaster management authority (SDMA), a total of 105 lives have been lost since June 20. Out of these, 61 people lost their lives in landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, fire incidents, and electrocution, as per the official cumulative report released by the state emergency operations centre (SEOC). Forty four people lost their lives in road mishaps, which have seen a sharp increase due to the slippery terrain, poor visibility, and road damage caused by relentless rainfall. The state so far had registered damages worth over ₹784.6 crore to both public and private property across sectors, including roads, agriculture, power, education, animal husbandry, and rural infrastructure.
CM pushes for strengthening air connectivity in the state
Chief minister Sukhu also called on Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu at New Delhi on Monday and held detailed discussions about strengthening air connectivity in the state.
Sukhu urged the Union minister to allow the operation of Delhi-Shimla-Dharamshala and Dharamshala-Shimla-Delhi flights on a daily basis, highlighting that at present these flights were operational only three days a week, causing inconvenience to the tourists. He also requested the commencement of night landing facilities at Dharamshala airport.
Sukhu apprised the Union minister regarding the status of the Kangra airport expansion and sought special assistance for the land acquisition process, citing its high cost. He mentioned that the issue had also been raised with the Prime Minister during a previous meeting and sought the continued support of the ministry of civil aviation, emphasising that this would accelerate the region’s development.
CM Sukhu also requested the construction of four new heliports to further strengthen air connectivity and boost tourism in the state.
Discussions were also held regarding the expansion of Shimla airport. The CM urged the Union minister to extend the operational watch hours beyond 1 pm at Shimla airport and also proposed the operation of Dornier-type aircraft at Shimla, following the example of the northeastern states. He emphasised the need to encourage additional operators to start flight services to Shimla.
