Meeting with Union Ministers remained productive: CM

While talking to the media after his return from Delhi here today, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated that his meetings with the central leaders in Delhi were fruitful enough.

He stated that the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has assured him that the issue of adopting a region-specific approach while finalizing fiscal devolution, grants and disaster management frameworks would be examined. He said this would help ensure that hill states like Himachal Pradesh receive adequate support to meet their developmental needs and disaster-resilience challenges.

The Chief Minister further stated that the Union Finance Minister also assured to positively consider the State’s request for extending financial support by allowing additional borrowing of two percent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).

Sh. Sukhu said that the Nirmala Sitharaman gave a patient hearing to the concerns of the State’s orchardists as well. “I strongly raised the issue of the import of apples from New Zealand, which has adversely affected the interests of local orchardists,” the Chief Minister stated.

He said that the same issue was also raised with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. The Minister assured that the Union Government would look into steps to stop apple imports during Himachal Pradesh’s peak production season, from July to November. He also said that the demand of hill states to not give import duty exemption on New Zealand apples between April and August would be considered sympathetically, as these imports were negatively affecting local apple growers.

Terming his meeting with Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as fruitful, the Chief Minister, in response to a media query said  that issues related to the State’s share in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) were discussed in detail. Issue pertaining to facilitate NoC from BBMB for allotment of land for an integrated office of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) was also taken up, for which the Union Minister has assured to do the needful soon.  At present the corporation’s offices are functioning from multiple locations, with the corporate office in Shimla, the design office in Sundernagar, and the renewable energy wing in Hamirpur.