Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said the state government was developing world-class commercial and economic hubs to decongest urban centres, strengthen institutional infrastructure and generate sustainable revenue.
Presiding over a meeting of the Urban Development Department here, the CM said the government was creating modern commercial spaces, smart parking facilities and green-blue public zones across the state. He directed the department to expedite the execution of the Sabzi Mandi Central Business District (CBD) project in Shimla and the proposed City Centre project at Hamirpur.
Sukhu said Rs 330 crore would be spent on the Shimla Sabzi Mandi project, which would be developed in two phases. He said Rs 210 crore would be incurred under the first phase, of which Rs 160 crore had already been provided to the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) and the Public Works Department (PWD).
The CM directed the SMC to ensure the vacation of 53 residences, six sheds, the SJPNL office, the office of the councillor, the Food Security Office and five shops by May 21, so that demolition work could begin in July. He also directed the authorities to complete the tendering process for the project by August 2026.
Reviewing the progress of the proposed Rs 140-crore City Centre project at Hamirpur, Sukhu said the project would come up after dismantling the old bus stand, as the new bus stand was nearing completion.
He said Rs 80 crore had already been approved for the project, while the remaining amount would be arranged through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the project had already been prepared, he added.
The CM said notices would be issued by the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) to occupants for vacating the premises. He directed the PWD to complete the tendering process within a month after the site was cleared. Public Works and Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh and senior officials were present at the meeting.
