16th finance panel chairman offers prayers at Dalai Lama’s monastery

Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, June 25

Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, who is on a visit to the state regarding Himachal’s financial needs and other issues, visited Dharamsala on Tuesday. After landing at the Gaggal airport in Kangra, he straightaway headed to the Tibetan monastery of the Dalai Lama at McLeodganj.

The Dalai Lama is on a tour to the USA. After paying obeisance at the monastery, he returned for a brief halt at the Circuit House. Due to the paucity of time, Panagariya could not visit a local museum and the Kangra Fort, which were on the itinerary of his scheduled visit.

Earlier, Shahpur MLA Kewal Singh Pathania welcomed Panagariya at the Gaggal airport. Pathania said he discussed in detail with Panagariya the financial assistance needed from the Finance Commission for preventing disasters like landslides in Boh Darini in his constituency and also made him aware of the potential of tourism development in Kareri.

Pathania said that on behalf of the state government, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had also put forward a case before the Finance Commission for preparing a disaster risk index for the Himalayan states. Due to a high possibility of disasters in these areas, the Chief Minister had raised issues related to the interests of the state considering the contribution of the state to nation building.

Managing Director, HRTC Rohan Chand Thakur, Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa, SP Shalini Agnihotri and Private Secretary Kumar Vivek accompanied Panagariya.

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