In a historic visit to the remote tribal village of Bara-Bhangal in Kangra district, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday announced a series of welfare and development measures aimed at improving the lives of residents in one of Himachal Pradesh’s most-inaccessible regions.
The Chief Minister, who interacted with residents to understand their concerns and hardships, became the first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh to stay overnight in Bara-Bhangal. While previous Chief Ministers had visited the area, none had spent a night in the village. Notably, no Chief Minister had visited Bara-Bhangal since 2011.
Addressing a public gathering, Sukhu announced that all eligible women in Bara-Bhangal would receive Rs 1,500 per month under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana. To address the region’s chronic power issues, he announced the installation of generator sets to ensure uninterrupted 24-hour electricity supply.
The Chief Minister also unveiled measures to improve educational opportunities for children of the remote area. He said the government would provide incentives to school-going children and designate nearby educational institutions in places such as Bir as nodal schools to facilitate their studies.
In a major boost to the local economy, Sukhu directed officials to prepare a comprehensive plan for developing Bara-Bhangal as an eco-tourism destination. He further announced that the state government would provide minimum support price (MSP) for ‘rajma’ cultivated through natural farming in the region.
The Chief Minister instructed Agriculture Department officials to connect local farmers with natural farming initiatives and ensure they receive all necessary support. He also announced that the government would procure mutton from local sheep-rearers, providing them with a reliable market for their produce.
Earlier in the day, Sukhu toured disaster-hit areas of Bara-Bhangal to assess the damage caused by recent natural calamities. Assuring residents of the government’s continued support, he said every possible effort would be made to improve connectivity, livelihoods and essential services in the remote region. MLA Kishori Lal was also present during the visit.
