Balh MLA Inder Singh Gandhi Submits Detailed Demand Charter to CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
Shimla:
Balh MLA Inder Singh Gandhi has submitted a comprehensive demand charter to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, urging the state government to address several long-pending developmental issues in the Balh Assembly constituency on a priority basis. The charter reflects demands raised repeatedly by residents of the region and covers infrastructure, healthcare, irrigation, education, and administrative services.
One of the major demands in the memorandum is the immediate commencement of construction work for the proposed airport in the Balh Valley. The MLA also urged the Chief Minister to allow the Atal Medical and Research University at Nerchowk to remain at its original location and to begin its construction work at the earliest, stating that shifting the institution elsewhere would be detrimental to the region’s healthcare and educational prospects.
Gandhi also highlighted that the training centre building at the medical college in Nerchowk has already received budgetary approval and requested the government to lay its foundation stone soon. Another urgent issue raised is the channelisation of Suketi Khad to protect residents of the Nerchowk Municipal Council, particularly those living near Dadour’s Kabadi Market, from flooding during the monsoon season.
The MLA sought financial provisions to complete the unfinished Chief Minister Lok Bhawan building at Leda with an estimated budget of around Rs. 15 lakh. He also demanded that the Behna–Nalsar road via Gagal be upgraded to a two-lane road and that the remaining 200-metre unpaved stretch of the Tawan–Kummi road be completed.
In addition, Gandhi requested around Rs. 2 crore for completing the pending construction of concrete drains along both sides of the road between Nerchowk and Dadour, and for building similar drainage infrastructure between Ratti and Bhangrotu.
Several rural roads that were severely damaged during the last monsoon — including Bhiyura–Stoh–Dauhal road, Dadour Kabadi Market–Dhangoo road, Ratti–Dhangoo road, Behna–Tikkar–Badadhar–Surni Nala–Mansa Mata–Kharsi–Kandhi–Tarapur road, and Chandyal–Singhan Bah–Kohal Ghatta road — were also included in the charter with a demand for immediate repair and budget allocation.
The MLA further demanded the completion of unfinished bridge projects such as the Chandyal–Syahal bridge and the Paidi–Pasta bridge before the next monsoon to ensure connectivity and public safety.
Highlighting agricultural concerns, Gandhi urged the government to convert the 18-kilometre canal of the Balh Valley Medium Irrigation Project (Right Bank) from Baggi to Malori village into a pipeline system. Built in 1994, the canal is now heavily damaged and leaking, preventing irrigation water from reaching the tail-end villages. He also requested repair funds for the Left Bank irrigation project and the damaged Dhangoo Kuhal to support farmers.
Other demands include completion of the stalled ITI building at Gagal, restoration of the Government Girls Senior Secondary School at Bhangrotu, and completion of the veterinary hospital building at Bhangrotu.
Gandhi also appealed for reopening several institutions that were denotified earlier, including the electricity department’s divisional office at Nerchowk, police station and ITI at Rewalsar, a veterinary hospital at Durgapur, and a veterinary dispensary in Syohli panchayat.
Additionally, the MLA urged the government to reorganize large gram panchayats in the Balh constituency and create new panchayats, stating that many existing panchayats have populations exceeding 4,000 and large geographical areas, making governance and service delivery difficult for residents.
