SHIMLA, Jun 3: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for six development projects worth about Rs 100 crore in the Dehra assembly constituency of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district and handed over land allotment certificates to 89 Pong Dam oustees.
He laid the foundation stone of the Administrative and Diagnostic Block of the Hospital, Food Commissary and Quarantine at Durgesh Aranya- Zoological Park to be constructed at a cost of Rs 47.62 crore, according to a statement.
Sukhu said that International level Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park was being constructed at Bankhandi at a cost of Rs 619 crore and in the first phase, Rs 150 crore was being spent on the construction of 43 enclosures, a statement issued here said.
Around 90 per cent work on the boundary wall has been completed besides eight check dams have also been constructed so far. The chief minister directed the construction of more check dams to facilitate rainwater harvesting. He said that it will not only be a tourist attraction but also a model of sustainable infrastructure, blending conservation with innovation.
He said that this park would have space to showcase 78 species, including the Asiatic lion, hog deer, monitor lizard, crocodile, ghadiyal and various bird species. The zoo will also have a wetland aviary of indigenous bird species, he added.
Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park will boost tourism activities significantly and provide employment and self-employment opportunities to the local youth, thereby strengthening the local economy, he said and added that with its natural beauty, unique attractions, and eco-friendly infrastructure, this park will go a long way in making Kangra district as “Tourism Capital” of the state.
The chief minister also visited the various under-construction sites in the Park and gave necessary directions for its improvement and on-time completion.
Later, during a public meeting in Haripur in Dehra Assembly Constituency, the CM handed over land allotment certificates to 89 Pong Dam oustees.
He said that the issue of Pong Dam oustees was strongly raised by the local MLA Kamlesh Thakur (wife of Sukhu) before the government that they have been suffering for the past 50 years and even had to struggle to get their documents.
He said that the state government was now granting them their due rights and assured that remaining displaced families would also be allotted land in the near future. Additionally, each family will receive Rs 3 lakh as financial assistance for building homes, he added. (PTI)
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