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