Himachal News: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has announced to spend Rs 500 crore in the coming times for the development of Spiti Valley. Addressing a public meeting in Kaza during his two-day visit to Lahaul-Spiti district, he stressed on improving roads, health, electricity and tourism facilities. The Chief Minister talked about preparing a survey and detailed project report (DPR) to explore the possibility of building a tunnel under the Kunzum Pass. Apart from this, it was also announced to declare Spiti as a natural farming area, explore the possibilities of opening a college in Kaza and conduct a survey for a heliport.
The government says that these initiatives can help in improving connectivity in remote areas, providing health services to local people and increasing employment opportunities related to tourism.
Provision of ₹500 crore for the development of Spiti
The Chief Minister said that the state government will spend Rs 500 crore on the development of Spiti Valley in the coming years. The development works associated with this amount are aimed at strengthening the infrastructure in the area and meeting the needs of the local people.
A large part of Lahaul-Spiti falls in the high altitude and cold desert region. Due to difficult weather conditions and geographical location, providing road connectivity, electricity and health services remains challenging. In such a situation, it is important for the local people to carry forward development projects.
The Chief Minister said that the government is working on schemes keeping in mind the needs of the region. However, project-wise details of the proposed expenditure of Rs 500 crore and the complete timeline will become clear with the implementation of separate announcements.
Survey will be done for tunnel under Kunjum pass
The Chief Minister assured to prepare a survey and DPR for building a tunnel under the Kunzum Pass. Its objective is to explore possibilities of providing better road connectivity to Spiti Valley throughout the year.
Road traffic may be affected due to snowfall and bad weather in high altitude areas. The construction of the tunnel is likely to improve travel and transportation facilities. This can benefit local residents as well as tourists.
At present this announcement is related to survey and preparation of DPR. Final information regarding the construction, cost and completion timeline of the tunnel will become clear only after further progress of the project.
Appointment of college and specialist doctors in Kaza
The Chief Minister talked about exploring the possibilities of opening a college in Kaza. This may reduce the need for students of the area to go to distant cities for higher education. However, the final decision and timeline for starting the college is not yet clear.
The Chief Minister also made an important announcement regarding health facilities. He talked about appointing gynecologist and medicine specialist in Kaza. This can help in providing specialist medical services to local people.
Availability of specialist doctors remains a major challenge in remote areas. In such a situation, the appointments are expected to help reduce the need for patients to travel to other cities for treatment.
Plan to make Spiti a natural farming area
The Chief Minister talked about declaring Spiti Valley as a natural farming area. In natural farming, emphasis is laid on reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The government scheme can create possibilities of promoting local agricultural practices and increasing the income opportunities of farmers.
Along with this, it was announced to conduct a survey to build a heliport in Kaza. Heliport can help in promoting tourism and exploring possibilities of air connectivity in times of need. However, its construction will depend on survey and further approvals.
₹350 crore transmission line to strengthen power system
To improve power supply in Spiti, work is also being done on Samdo-Kaja Transmission Line Project. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 350 crore and is targeted to be completed in three years.
The Chief Minister said that the government is making efforts to solve the electricity problem. Better transmission systems can help make electricity supplies more reliable.
During the visit, the Chief Minister also inaugurated a 2 MW capacity solar power plant at Kaza built at a cost of Rs 4.42 crore. It has been installed with a battery energy storage system with a megawatt-hour capacity. Apart from this, the foundation stone of power sub-stations was laid in Kaza and Samdo.
Inauguration and foundation stone of projects worth ₹116.28 crore
The Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development projects worth a total of Rs 116.28 crore in Lahaul-Spiti. These include projects related to roads, power and energy.
Chidang-Tangati Khar Teling Road Project in Pin Valley and upgradation work of 12 km long Tangyut-Hikim road was inaugurated. These roads are expected to provide better connectivity to local people, farmers and tourists.
On the part of the government, these projects are being linked to the development of the area and the everyday needs of the people. In the coming time, their impact will be assessed by how effectively the projects are operated and how much benefit the local people get.