Meetings with Union Ministers Were Productive, Says CM Sukhu After Delhi Visit.
Shimla:
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu yesterday said that his meetings with Union Ministers in New Delhi were productive and yielded positive assurances on several key issues concerning Himachal Pradesh. Talking to mediapersons after his return from the national capital, the Chief Minister expressed confidence that the concerns raised by the State would be addressed sympathetically by the Union Government.
The Chief Minister said that during his meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he strongly advocated for adopting a region-specific approach while finalising fiscal devolution, central grants and disaster management frameworks. He stated that hill states like Himachal Pradesh face unique geographical and climatic challenges and therefore require special consideration to meet their developmental requirements and enhance disaster resilience. The Union Finance Minister, he said, assured that this issue would be examined.
CM Sukhu further stated that the Union Finance Minister also gave a positive assurance on the State’s request to allow additional borrowing of two percent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). He said that this additional financial flexibility would significantly help the State in managing its finances and implementing welfare and development-oriented schemes.
The Chief Minister also raised the concerns of apple orchardists during his meeting with the Finance Minister. He said that the import of apples from New Zealand has adversely impacted local growers in Himachal Pradesh. “I strongly raised the issue of apple imports, which have affected the interests of our orchardists,” he said, adding that the Union Finance Minister listened patiently to the concerns and assured to look into the matter.
He informed that the same issue was also taken up with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. The Union Minister assured that the Central Government would examine measures to restrict apple imports during Himachal Pradesh’s peak production season, from July to November. The demand of hill states to not grant import duty exemption on New Zealand apples between April and August would also be considered sympathetically, as such imports were negatively impacting local apple growers.
Terming his meeting with Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as fruitful, the Chief Minister said that issues related to the State’s share in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) were discussed in detail. He also took up the matter of facilitating a No Objection Certificate (NoC) from the BBMB for allotment of land for setting up an integrated office of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL). The Union Power Minister, he said, assured that the matter would be addressed at the earliest.
At present, the offices of HPPCL are functioning from multiple locations, with the corporate office in Shimla, the design office in Sundernagar and the renewable energy wing in Hamirpur. The Chief Minister said that establishing an integrated office would improve efficiency and coordination within the corporation.
The Chief Minister expressed optimism that the assurances given by the Union Ministers would translate into concrete support for the State in the near future.
