Highlighting that foundation stones of projects worth over ₹80 crore would be laid during his visit of Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts, Union minister for parliamentary affairs and minority affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said tribal districts of Himachal Pradesh would witness revolutionary transformation as several development projects were in the pipeline. He also accused the Sukvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government of “misleading” the people regarding the Union government’s role in the state’s development.
“The Himachal government’s statement that the Union government is not helping is politically motivated. A lot of development works are being done by the Centre,” said Rijiju while unveiling a central package to promote winter and adventure sports in Himachal Pradesh’s tribal districts, especially Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, as part of the Centre’s border-area development strategy.
Rijiju, who is on a three-day visit to the state, said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the central government has given priority to the development of infrastructure, including roads, in border areas since 2014.”
He added, “Infact, the previous Congress government had a policy of not undertaking any development in border areas, which has been completely reversed by the Modi government. We are building roads up to the border and have come closer to China in terms of building infrastructure in border areas.”
“In 2013, defence minister AK Antony told Parliament there would be no development in certain border regions. Today, we are building world-class infrastructure in the same areas,” he asserted.
{{/usCountry}}“In 2013, defence minister AK Antony told Parliament there would be no development in certain border regions. Today, we are building world-class infrastructure in the same areas,” he asserted.
{{/usCountry}}Rijiju unveiled a central package and announced indoor multi-sports stadium at Kalpa (foundation to be laid during visit), green grass turf at Gyabung (Kinnaur) costing of ₹4.80 crore, high-altitude skiing and winter sports training centre at Kaza (Lahaul-Spiti) with vocational training facilities, to be built at a cost of ₹73.77 crore and a special sewage management scheme for high-altitude villages in Lahaul.
Terming the imposition of Emergency in 1975 as the “murder of the Constitution”, Rijiju said, “It throttled the media and crushed individual and institutional freedoms. Even after 50 years, we must not forget the dangers of authoritarianism. That is why the Union Cabinet passed a resolution to remind people about what really happened. Shimla is symbolically important. Today, we observe ‘Samvidhan Hatya Divas’ from this historic city.”