Kangra Airport Expansion: Rs 460 Crore Boost for Himachal Tourism Capital

During the programme, he announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh each for the local Mahila Mandals, along with funds for the Ramed-Tangroti link road, the tarring of the Tangroti link road and other adjoining roads.

The Chief Minister reiterated that the government has declared Kangra district as the “Tourism Capital of Himachal Pradesh”, and several tourism projects are currently being implemented in the region. These initiatives, he said, would substantially enhance the income of local residents in the coming years.

He said Rs 460 crore has been released for the expansion of the Kangra Airport, and work is underway. “Once completed, the airport will increase the value of the land and witness a surge in tourist inflow, strengthening the region’s economy,” he said. Highlighting that more than 90 per cent of the state’s population resides in rural areas, the Chief Minister said the government was making sincere efforts to strengthen the rural economy.

To support cattle rearers, the government has increased the minimum support price (MSP) of cow milk to Rs 51 per litre and buffalo milk to Rs 61 per litre.

Giving priority to farmers, the MSP has also been declared for naturally grown crops. The government is procuring wheat at Rs 60 per kg, maize at Rs 40 per kg, and raw turmeric at Rs 90 per kg produced under natural farming. Efforts are also being made to create employment opportunities for the youth near their homes to make them self-reliant, he said.

Referring to the recent by-election, the Chief Minister said the BJP won the Dharamsala seat through false propaganda. He remarked that Congress candidate Devinder Singh Jaggi lost by a narrow margin to a candidate who had switched allegiance from the Congress to the BJP.

Sukhu said the government is giving special impetus to the modernisation of the education and health sectors. Himachal Pradesh has recently achieved the milestone of becoming a fully literate state with a literacy rate of 99.30 per cent, placing it among the top five states in reading and writing proficiency.

“Due to the reforms introduced by the government, Himachal Pradesh now ranks fifth in the country in qualitative education, whereas during the previous BJP government, the state had slipped to the 21st rank,” he added.

- IANS