Thakur asks FM to speed up airport project

Tribune News Service
Shimla, July 28

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday urged Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman to speed up the international airport project near Sundarnagar, demand funds for loss in revenue due to the GST implementation.

Thakur, along with other Chief Minister, raised a pitch for allocation of more funds for marinating forest cover, meeting post-devolution deficit for sustainable development to make 10 Himalayan states as the participants in the 5-trillion economy as targeted by the Centre.

He raised these issues while speaking at a conclave of Chief Ministers of 10 Himalayan states organised by the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) at Mussoorie in partnership with the Uttarakhand government. Later, the Chief Ministers passed and signed a resolution and presented it to the Finance Minister, Chairman, 15th Finance Commission, and Vice-Chairman of the NITI Ayog for action.

Thakur said, “Himachal is not facing migration from villages like other Himalayan states, but we need more funds for expanding rail, road and air connectivity and urged the Centre for speeding up the airport project near Sundernagar.” Himachal had witnessed a huge fall in income from the GST, urging the Finance Commission for proper evacuation of GST for the remaining 33 months for the state.

“The Centre should fund our post-devolution deficit rewarding the Himalayan states for scoring on social and development parameters, giving extra funds for sustainable development,” he added.

Thakur said they maintained forest cover and did not use it for revenue and hence the states need more compensation to maintain it. “Most of the rivers originate from the Himalayas which need more funds,” he said.

Thakur said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set a target of converting India into a 5-trillion economy and the Himalayan states needed support for that as services and developing infrastructure required more funds as a large part of the fund went into paying salaries for employees.

The host of the conclave, Trivendra Singh Rawat, demanded special incentives to the Himalayan states for their sustainable development.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Himalayan states had a major role to play being the custodian of saving the pristine environment of the Himalayas which need long-term strategies to protect their fragile ecology. The infrastructure must be created in border areas to check migration of people which made the border areas vulnerable.

She said proper balance between development of the Himalayan states and other states must be maintained. These must ensure that their lands were not exposed to excessive use of chemical fertilizers, the youth should be empowered for ensuring development at the grassroots.

Chairman, 15th Finance Commission, NK Singh said the expectations of the Chief Ministers of the Himalayan states from the Finance Commission were justifiable as per their needs. The commission would do its best to come up to the expectations of the Himalayan states.

IMI president Sushil Ramola said the Chief Minister adopted the Mussoorie Resolution to work out strategies for sustainable development of mountain areas of the Indian Himalayan region in a collaborative manner.