MoF nod for two Himachal projects

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Tuesday that the Finance Ministry had approved an expenditure of Rs 1,131.87 crore on two projects in the hill state.

The water conservation project's phase one costing Rs 708.87 crore and the Himachal Pradesh Integrated Mushroom Development project costing Rs 423 crore were approved on Tuesday by the Ministry's Department of Economic Affairs.

Thakur is on a two-day visit to New Delhi for coordinating with the Ministries concerned on various developmental projects in Himachal.

He said that the state had prepared the water conservation project entailing an estimated expenditure of Rs 4,751.24 crore to double the income of farmers through water conservation initiatives.

He said that the mushroom project will also prove to be a milestone for the farmers.

Thakur called on Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari here and sought a notification to declare 25 road stretches in the state as National Highways.

The Chief Minister said that the road alignments of these 25 stretches have been finalised and work on the remaining 33 stretches will be completed soon, according to a state government statement.

Thakur demanded the resumption of work on the National Highway from Kiratpur to Ner Chowk on the Kullu-Manali route. He also sought the four-laning of the Pathankot-Mandi and Shimla-Mataour roads. Gadkari assured him of suitable action on the demands.

Additional Chief Secretary Shrikant Baldi briefed the Union Minister on the progress of various projects in the state.

--IANS

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