SHIMLA, Jan 17: Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that his recent meetings with union Ministers in New Delhi were productive and addressed several key concerns of Himachal Pradesh.
Interacting with media after returning from the national capital, the Chief Minister said that union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had assured him that the Centre would examine the need for a region-specific approach while finalising fiscal devolution, grants and disaster management frameworks.
He said such an approach would help hill states like Himachal Pradesh secure adequate financial support to meet their developmental requirements and disaster resilience challenges.
The Chief Minister said that the union Finance Minister had also assured positive consideration of the State’s request for additional borrowing of two per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) to strengthen its financial position.
He further stated that the concerns of apple orchardists were also raised during the meeting. The Chief Minister said he strongly flagged the issue of apple imports from New Zealand, which have adversely impacted local growers.
He informed that similar concerns were discussed with union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
According to the Chief Minister, the union Commerce Minister assured that the Centre would explore measures to restrict apple imports during Himachal Pradesh’s peak production season from July to November.
He also said that the demand of hill states to withdraw import duty exemptions on New Zealand apples between April and August would be considered sympathetically, as these imports were affecting domestic apple producers.
Describing his meeting with union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as fruitful, the Chief Minister said that issues related to the State’s share in the Bhakra Beas Management Board were discussed in detail. He said that the matter of obtaining a no-objection certificate from the BBMB for allotment of land for an integrated office of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited was also taken up.
The union Power Minister, he said, assured that necessary action would be initiated at the earliest. At present, the Corporation operates from multiple locations, with its corporate office in Shimla, the design office in Sundernagar and the renewable energy wing in Hamirpur.
(UNI)
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