Industries Minister Bikram Singh while participating in the pre-budget consultation meeting chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at New Delhi today requested for Rs. 1400 crore financial outlay in the upcoming budget 2020-21 for construction of 58 roads declared as In-Principle National Highways.

He also urged for creation of Rs. 1000 crore dedicated fund for four laning of 35 km Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh, 223 Km Shimla-Mataur and 197 km long Pathankot-Mandi National Highways. He also put forth the request of state government to enhance annual outlay for ordinary repair and flood damage repair for NHs to Rs. 100 crore for strengthening road network in the State.

Industries Minister said that roads were the only mode of transportation in the state due to limited air and rail connectivity and added that construction of ropeways as alternative mode of transportation may be included in the PMGSY for the hill states.

He also requested for financial and technical support for establishing one large airport of international standards besides assistance for expansion of existing three airports in order to boost tourism in the state. He also demanded one time financial support for execution of Bhanupali-Bilaspur and Chandigarh-Baddi rail lines besides declaring and executing Una-Hamirpur broad gauge rail lines and all other future rail lines as national projects, keeping in view the limited resource base of the state.

Bikram Singh also stressed upon protecting interests of local farmers especially apple growers while entering Free Trade Agreements with other countries. He also urged Government of India to consider funding three integrated market places in the first phase in coming year to enable all operations starting from procurement including grading, packing, processing to provision of market linkages under one integrated set up supported through integrated e-NAM.

He requested that unutilized land with Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) on which no dams have been constructed or no activity is going on which is in thousands of hectares should be returned to state to speed up development in state. He said that HP is a tourism and hydro power hub and also been adjudged best in Health and Education sectors and now state is concentrating on strengthening infrastructure development. He requested Centre government for providing funds for the same

Resident Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sanjay Kundu was also present in the meeting.