CM urges Sitharaman for hike in borrowing limit

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Monday and sought an increase in the state’s borrowing limit in view of the financial strain caused by the recent flashfloods.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister apprised Sitharaman of the financial situation of Himachal Pradesh and urged her to provide specail assistance.

Sukhu also called on Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu in New Delhi and held detailed discussions about strengthening air connectivity in the state. He urged the Union Minister to facilitate the expansion of air connectivity in Himachal along with a provision of night landing facility at the Dharamsala airport.

The Chief Minister also requested the Union Minister for the construction of four new heliports to further strengthen air connectivity and boost tourism in the state.

He urged the Union Minister for the operation of Delhi-Shimla-Dharamsala and Dharamsala-Shimla-Delhi daily flights. He said that at present, these flights were operational only three days a week, which caused inconvenience to tourists. He also requested Naidu to provide night landing facilities at the Dharamsala airport.

Sukhu apprised the Union Minister about the status of the Kangra airport expansion project and sought special assistance for land acquisition, citing its high cost. He said that the issue had also been raised with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier and sought the continued support of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation to accelerate regional development.

Discussions were also held regarding the expansion of the Shimla airport. Sukhu urged the Union Minister to extend the operational watch hours at the Shimla airport beyond 1 pm. He also proposed the operation of Dornier-type aircraft at the Shimla airport, as was being done in northeastern states. He emphasised the need for encouraging additional operators to start flights to Shimla. (With PTI inputs)

Himachal Tribune