Shimla, March 1 Union Minister Kiren Rijiju laid the foundation stone for two indoor stadiums and an industrial training institute in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday.
The development projects in the Churah and Dalhousie Assembly constituencies have been approved under the Prime Minister's Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram, a centrally sponsored flagship program of the Ministry of Minority Affairs to create community infrastructure in minority-concentrated areas of the country.
Rijiju, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs, laid the foundation stone for an indoor stadium in Bhanjradu in the Churah Assembly Constituency, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 7 crore, and a government industrial training institute to be built at Rs 9 crore.
In another event, he laid the foundation stone for an indoor stadium to be built at Rs 9.2 crore in Salooni in the Dalhousie Assembly constituency, according to a statement issued here.
Addressing the public gathering in Chamba, Rijiju said it was essential to visit the hills to understand the problems and needs of the people living there.
He said that in the past, politicians used to visit hill states like Himachal Pradesh for leisure, but the Modi government is expanding its reach to all remote parts through ministerial visits.
Rijiju said that while the Prime Minister has launched several plans to strengthen the economy, due to a lack of information, the people of Himachal Pradesh are unable to take advantage of all the central government schemes.
The minister urged officials to disseminate information about the central government's public welfare schemes to the public.
Later, interacting with the media, Rijiju said that he would take up the matter of improving connectivity to the tourist town of Dalhousie with the railway minister.
Dalhousie, he said, is a beautiful, ancient, and famous tourist destination that needs better rail services for development.
The Pangi Welfare Association interacted with the Union minister and apprised him of their long-standing demand of constructing the Chahani Tunnel from the Devikothi area of Churah to Mindhal village in Pangi.
People of the Pangi region have been demanding the Chahani Tunnel—for all-weather connectivity to the remote Pangi Valley—for the past 70 years, but no progress has been made, it said.
The Pangi area remains cut off for almost six months during winters, and this tunnel will make it easier for residents to reach the Chamba headquarters. Rijiju assured them that he would look into the issue.