Himachal to conduct survey for Kotkhai-Hatkoti, Dodra-Kwar tunnels: Sukhu

Shimla, June 2 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Friday said surveys would be conducted to explore possibilities for the construction of Kotkhai-Hatkoti and Dodra-Kwar tunnels that would go a long way to facilitating the people of these areas.

He said efforts would be made to connect Kwar with Uttarakhand and also announced the opening of Adarsh Health Institute in Rohru.

In his maiden visit to Rohru after assuming the office of the Chief Minister, the Chief Minister told a gathering that the exploitation of apple orchardists by middlemen would not be tolerated.

A provision of Rs 100 crore has been made in this fiscal for setting up 10 cold atmosphere (CA) stores in the state and the tendering process is underway. "Measures are also being taken to ensure remunerative prices for rotten apples to the growers," he said.

The present Congress government has fulfilled its promise as made in its election manifesto of providing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to government employees and efforts are being made to get back approximately Rs 9,000 crore of National Pension Scheme (NPS), as deposited with the central government, said the Chief Minister.

He demanded 30 per cent share from the Central government in hydropower projects set up in the state which does not have any sort of debt liabilities.

The Chief Minister said the government has launched Sukh-Ashray Yojana for 6,000 orphan children and will provide all support to them until they reach the age of 27 years.

He said widows and single women would also be provided financial assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh to construct their houses.

He emphasised for coordinated efforts to make Himachal Pradesh a Green Energy State, adding that the government was meticulously working in this direction to meet the target of a Green and Clean State by March 2026.

To promote this, a 50 per cent subsidy will be provided by the government to the youth for the purchase of e-buses, e-trucks, and e-taxis. This initiative aims to improve the environment and reduce carbon emissions in the state, he added.