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Punjab Govt
March 09, 2008

 

PUNJAB TO GET SUMMER TIME POWER FROM HP STRATEGIC AGREEMENT ON SRI ANANDPUR SAHIB-NAINA DEVI ROPE WAY

CHANDIGARH MARCH 9, 2008

Punjab today secured a commitment for the supply of 250 MWs of power from the neighboring state Himachal Pardesh during the forthcoming summer months. Although initially the HP has agreed to supply electricity from July to September 2008, HP Chief Minister Mr. Prem Kumar Dhumal responded positively to Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal's request to start it from the month of June to facilitate the Paddy sowing operations in Punjab.

This was disclosed by Mr. Harcharan Bains, Media Advisor to the Punjab Chief Minister at a breakfast meeting with his Himachal Pardesh counterpart, Mr. Prem Kumar Dhumal at the formers residence this morning.

Mr. Bains also said that the two states have also decided to jointly approach the Government of India and urged the Centre to grant a special category status to the Shahnehar project and lend the mandatory 90% Central assistance under the scheme.

In a significant development, said the Media Advisor, the two Chief Ministers also reached a strategic understanding for a rope-way linkage between the holy Sri Anandpur Sahib and holy Shrine of Naina Devi. Necessary details were being worked out by renowned Infrastructure Development Giant, the RITES. This includes the early preparations of an economic feasibility report. The project could have momentous implications for the promotion of religious tourism in the two states, said Mr. Bains.

The Punjab Chief Minister also assured Mr. Dhumal that the road from Siswan to Baddi would be completed by June, 2009 as the requisite formalities in terms of invitation of tenders had been completed. Mr. Bains said that this would eventually lead to a project to link Chandigarh with Sri Anandpur Sahib with a direct highway. The highway would not only shorten the distance between the two major destinations and but would also open up the entire zone lying between the two cities for modernized development. It would also take the load off the Ropar-Chandigarh-Sri Anandpur Sahib-Nangal highway, finally connecting Una in HP, said Mr. Bains.

The interaction between the two Chief Ministers described by the Media Advisor as "an expanded, full strength and structured affair with top government functionaries including the two Chief Secretaries representing the teams of officers from their respective states. Mr. Badal's senior colleague, Local Government Minister Mr. Manoranjan Kalia and Cooperation Minister Capt. Kanwaljit Singh was a measure of the significance which Mr. Badal attached to the meeting.

Mr. Badal and Mr. Dhumal agreed to depute their Chief Secretaries along with teams of the concerned officers to have direct and live interaction in order to settle the interstate issues expeditiously and amicably.

Also present in the meeting were Punjab Chief Secretary Mr. R.I. Singh, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. D.S. Guru, Secretary Irrigation & Power Mr. Suresh Kumar, Chairman PSEB Mr. Y.S. Ratra, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. K.J.S. Cheema apart from the Media Advisor Mr. Harcharan Bains. Mr. Dhumal was accompanied by his Chief Secretary Mr. Ravi Dogra, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Dr. Arun Sharma, Secretary General Administration Mr. Diljit Dogra, Secretary PWD Mr. Balram Sharma, Member HPEB Mr. Jagdish Sharma and Press Secretary Mr. Teju Sharma.

Later Mr. Badal along with Mr. Dhumal and former Member Parliament and in charge of BJP affairs in Himachal Pardesh Mr. Satya Pal Jain were honoured at "Sanman Samaroh" organized by the President Chandigarh unit of BJP Ms. Kamla Sharma here at Nehru Park, sector-22. Mr. Badal was honoured for successful completion of the one year of SAD-BJP rule in Punjab, Himachal Chief Minister Mr. Dhumal for steering the BJP to victory in the recently held assembly elections and Mr. Jain for party's spectacular victory in the hill state. Mr. Balbir Punj, National Secretary of BJP and party in charge for Punjab and Ms. Kiran Ghai, Party co-in charge for Punajb, Ex-Minister Tota Singh and President Chandigarh Akali Dal Gurpartap Singh Riar was also present on the occasi


 

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