The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet has given the go-ahead for the expansion of the Gaggal airport in Kangra to increase tourism to the state. The airport will have its runway length extended to 3,010 metres which will enable the A320 aircraft to operate. This expansion will greatly support the government’s plans to develop Kangra as a ‘Tourism Capital’.
In addition, the Mukhya Mantri Vidyarthi Protsahan Yojana, 2023 has been approved by the cabinet. Under this initiative, poor students will be provided a loan of up to INR 20 lakh at a low-interest rate of 1% to help them pursue courses in engineering, medical, management, nursing, and other fields.
To address issues pertaining to school management and computer teachers, a cabinet sub-committee has been constituted, comprising Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh, and PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh.
The government also intends to curb unregulated and unplanned construction activities along various highways by creating a four-lane planning area. The new regulations will apply to the Parwanoo-Shimla Highway national highway (NH) 5, the Shimla-Matour NH, Pathankot-Mandi NH and Kiratpur-Manali Highway NH-3. The planning area will encompass an area of up to 100 meters from the edge of the control width on each side of the four-lane.
Furthermore, the cabinet has approved the establishment of a government Degree College in Tauni Devi, Hamirpur district to increase student access to higher education. This initiative showcases the government’s commitment to sustainable development and improvement in the academic sector.
These decisions were made during the cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, who expressed the importance of the government’s continued efforts to develop the state. These initiatives highlight the Himachal Pradesh government’s commitment to supporting its people, in order to build a better future for the state.
