Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said in a public meeting at Palampur in Kangra district that the government was preparing a blueprint to promote tourism activities in Palampur.

The CM said that the development of Kangra district has been his top priority since the formation of the new government in the state. He pledged to make Kangra the ‘Tourism Capital’ of the state and said that the Kangra Airport is being expanded to increase the footfall of domestic and international tourists.

The Chief Minister made a series of announcements for the Palampur constituency, including allocating funds for a Martyr Memorial.

He also announced the installation of an MRI machine and an operation theatre in Palampur Hospital. Besides, a sewerage scheme for the town and expansion of the OBC Bhawan and the Palampur bus stand also figured in his to-do list.

He assured the provision of adequate funds for the construction of the BDO office complex and an additional district-level court office in Palampur. Sukhu also announced the construction of a railway overhead bridge over Badehad-Patti Road, the Lingati Khad-Nagri Manimahesh Road, a bridge on Nagani to Lasedu Chimbalhar Road, and a railway overhead bridge near Rajpur Goswami Ganesh Dutt College in Palampur.

The Chief Minister said that during the Rajya Sabha elections, six rebel MLAs cross-voted in favour of the BJP candidate. He said that a former Congress minister and sitting MLA from Kangra district orchestrated the cross-voting and betrayal within the party.

“Apart from this, on the day of voting on the budget, these six rebel MLAs left for Panchkula in a helicopter under the protection of the CRPF and the Haryana Police,” he said.

They were later shifted to Haridwar, Rishikesh, and now were at Gurugram, busy making plans to topple the government in connivance with the BJP.

“I have had a long political career of 35 years and struggled to reach where I am now but I never conspired against the party,” Sukhu said, adding that he was used to such challenges and not afraid of such conspiracies.

Unfortunately, some people have traded their conscience for money, he remarked.

“If I am the Chief Minister today, it is because of the love and the faith of the people and the Congress party,” he said.

The current government will last for five years and will work honestly in the service of the people and the development of the state and to accelerate the works, he said, adding that along with this, many important changes were being made in the fields of education and health sector.

“The government has decided not to reopen health and educational institutions without proper staff, unlike the previous BJP government, which did so for political gain in view of the approaching Vidhan Sabha elections,” the Chief Minister said.

The BJP opened 900 educational and health institutions during the last six months of its tenure without making any provision for adequate staff and buildings, he said.