BJP leader and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the Central government has sanctioned 69 national highways in Himachal Pradesh, the construction of most of which are underway.
He was speaking at an election rally in Sangla in Kinnaur district, some 300 km from the state capital.
Gadkari pointed out that there is a tremendous potential for tourism in the state.
"With the strengthening of the road network, tourism business has increased in the last five years and the state has made a new name on the tourism map," he said.
The Union Minister noted that the Central government has decided to transfer cash directly to small farmers' accounts, who would get Rs 6,000 per year, of which the first installment of Rs 2,000 has already been paid.
Gadkari appealed to the people of Kinnaur to support the party's Lok Sabha candidate Ram Swaroop Sharma to ensure speedy development in the Mandi parliamentary constituency as a whole, and of Kinnaur in particular.
In this regard, the Himachal Pradesh Forest Corporation Vice Chairperson Surat Negi said the issue of road connectivity between Sangla and Uttarakhand, and the construction of national highways in Kinnaur district has been taken up with the Union Minister.
Himachal Pradesh will go to the polls for its four parliamentary seats - Shimla, Kangra, Hamirpur and Mandi - on May 19.
--IANS
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