Himachal clears World Bank funded HP Horticulture project

SHIMLA: Himachal cabinet today approved World Bank funded HP Horticulture Development Project worth Rs 1,000 crore for the State.

It also approved formation of Society at the apex level under the HP Society Registration Act, 2006.

The Cabinet also approved creation of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to manage the Progeny cum Demonstration Orchards (PCDO's) and the farms owned or under the possession of Horticulture and other departments.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that the function of the SPV would be to set up modern nurseries and demonstration orchards of various fruits and cultivars, flowers and vegetables and to manage these PCDOs profitably so that the requirement of quality, plant material could meet on regular basis.

The project would help in ensuring better post harvest management besides supply chain management and establishing alternative market management and use of information technology in the development of Horticulture Sector in the State besides enhancing horticulture competitiveness at the farm level, he added.

The Cabinet also approved construction of six Ropeway projects namely Neugal (Palampur), Bhunter-Bijli Mahadev, Dharamkot- Triund, Toba-Nainadevi ji, Shahtalai- Deotsidh and Sarahan- Bashal Kanda as per revised documents.

It also cleared the long-awaited Palchan-Rohtang Pass ropeway project, almost one and half year after the cabinet had scraped the project .

The cabinet approved the proposal to set-up a Special Purpose Vehicle constituted by the Manali Ropeway private limited for the project to be executed at a cost of Rs 340 crore as per revised estimates.

Cabinet gave its nod to minor amendments in giving powers for Interim Development Plan of Shimla Planning Area,providing for change of land use and re-construction of existing buildings on old lines except Heritage buildings at the Administrative Department level provided the facade and architectural features are maintained.

It also approved creation of National Optical Fiber Network with a view to connecting all the Panchayats in the State subjected to the condition that the damaged roads were repaired.

It also gave its nod for revised policy for setting up of Mobile Communication Tower for effective quality of services.