Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday said that a sum of ₹460 crore has been disbursed for the expansion of Kangra Airport, which will increase land value and witness a surge in tourist inflow upon completion.
He attended the “Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar” programme at Gram Panchayat Tangroti in the Dharamshala Assembly constituency, where he listened to the grievances of local residents.
The government has declared Kangra district as the tourism capital of Himachal Pradesh, and several tourism projects are currently being implemented in the region, Sukhu said.
Highlighting that more than 90 per cent of the state’s population resides in rural areas, the chief minister said that the government is making efforts to strengthen the rural economy.
To support cattle rearers, the government has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of cow milk to ₹51 per litre and buffalo milk to ₹61 per litre, he said.
He also announced a grant of ₹1 lakh each for the local Mahila Mandals, along with funds for the Ramed-Tangroti link road, the tarring of the Tangroti link road and other adjoining roads.
Referring to the 2024 by-elections, Sukhu claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Dharamshala seat through false propaganda. Congress candidate Devinder Singh Jaggi lost by a narrow margin to a candidate who had switched allegiance from Congress to the BJP, he added.