Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Saturday flagged the issue of pending central dues to the state, and pitched for higher allocation of funds for hill states by relaxing the eligibility criteria in various schemes.
“If legitimate dues are released in time, Himachal Pradesh will become self-reliant,” Sukhu said.
Addressing the 10th Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sukhu elaborated on the state government’s vision to position Himachal Pradesh as the most favourite tourist destination.
He said his government is working on a compact package integrating religious, eco, water, nature, and health tourism to attract both domestic and foreign tourists.
“We are also expanding the Kangra Airport to facilitate the landing of the larger aeroplanes which will add to the economy of the region as footfall of tourists will increase manifold,” Sukhu said.
He also advocated for state’s rights in hydro power projects, calling for the release of free royalty and transfer of projects under PSUs and CPSUs which had completed 40 years of operation.
He outlined the state’s energy policy, which mandates 12 per cent royalty for the first 12 years, 18 per cent for the subsequent 18 years and 30 per cent for the next 10 years in the power projects.
Story continues below this ad
He said that private companies already comply with this policy and emphasized that central PSUs should also follow it as well.
Highlighting Himachal Pradesh’s role as “the lungs of North India”, he underscored the state’s efforts in preserving the forest cover and reiterated the demand for a Green Bonus for protecting the environment.
He said the state government has set a target to make Himachal Pradesh a Green Energy State by March 31, 2026.
“In the coming years, Himachal Pradesh will become a pioneering State in green hydrogen production in the country. A one-megawatt capacity green hydrogen plant is being set up in Solan district in collaboration with Oil India Limited”, he said.
Story continues below this ad
Deliberations were also held on taking action on promoting entrepreneurship, skill development and sustainable employment opportunities, he noted.
Later, Sukhu called on PM Modi to discuss royalty issues of power projects and tourism initiatives.
Sukhu requested the Prime Minister to provide liberal financial assistance to the state and to release the funds due to the state at the earliest.
Chief Minister apprised him about the vision of state government to make Himachal Pradesh a self reliant state by 2032.
Story continues below this ad
He said that already state government is making efforts in this direction by formulating schemes and strengthening the existing ones.