HP Shiva Project: Rs 1300 Crore Allocated for Horticulture Development in Seven Himachal Pradesh Districts

Una, December 6 – In a significant boost to horticulture development, the Himachal Pradesh Shiva Project is set to allocate Rs 1300 crore over the next four years in seven districts of the state. The project, operating under the Asian Development Bank (ADB), aims to cultivate various fruit plants, including citrus, pomegranate, guava, and litchi, covering an extensive 6000 hectares of land.

Jagat Singh Negi, the Minister for Horticulture Revenue and Tribal Development, shared this information during his one-day inspection of the Farmer’s Learning and Development (FLD) under the HP Shiva Project in Baul, Pipli, and Kholi villages in Una district. He highlighted that 11 FLD clusters have been established on 12 hectares of land in the Bangana development block, involving an expenditure of approximately Rs 1 crore 30 lakh. These clusters focus on planting mango and guava saplings.

The ADB-backed HP Shiva Project is also investing Rs 18.45 crore through the Jal Shakti Department to provide irrigation facilities for horticulture in the Kutlahar assembly constituency. This initiative is expected to benefit five panchayats by enhancing irrigation infrastructure.

Minister Negi actively engaged with local gardeners associated with the HP Shiva Project during his visit, commending the efforts of the Horticulture Department officers in Bangana. He urged them to enhance efficiency in project implementation and encouraged interactions between gardeners and horticulture institutes, universities, and scientists. The objective is to provide gardeners with insights into new horticultural technologies and raise awareness of practical issues faced by them.

Emphasizing the need to boost income for gardeners involved in the HP Shiva Project, Minister Negi underscored the importance of motivating and training them in cultivating various cash crops on vacant lands between Haldar plants. This multi-million-dollar investment signifies a robust commitment to transforming Himachal Pradesh into a horticultural hub and boosting the income of local farmers.