SHIVA project will strengthen state’s economy: Negi

Mandi, August 31

Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi today inaugurated a lychee planting initiative under the Himachal Pradesh Sub-Tropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition (HP SHIVA) Project at Dhanyara panchayat in Mandi district. Over 13,000 lychee plants would be planted on 17 hectares in this cluster, benefiting 65 families.

The minister said that the Shiva project would bolster the state’s economy. He urged farmers, involved in the cluster, to stay informed and actively participate for the project’s success. Upon completion, the project was expected to involve over 15,000 farmers. Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the project had a budget of Rs 1,398 crore and was being implemented in seven districts of the state, he added.

Negi highlighted the state’s response to the devastating floods last year, noting that no additional relief funds were received from the Central Government beyond the standard allocation for disaster management. The state government had utilised its resources to allocate Rs 4,500 crore for relief efforts, including Rs 7 lakh grant for each house destroyed, he added.

In Mandi district alone, around Rs 400 crore had been spent on MGNREGA-related construction and a similar amount had been allocated for the current year, he said.

The minister accused the previous BJP government of mismanaging development funds, citing the construction of 16 helipads and numerous rest houses, which are now unused, in the Siraj Assembly constituency. He claimed that the BJP government accrued a debt of Rs 75,000 crore without focusing on resource development. In contrast, the Congress government was committed to enhancing resources and ensuring equitable development across the state, he added.

Agriculture Produce Market Committee Chairman Sanjeev Guleria, Pradesh Congress Committee secretary Champa Thakur and HP SHIVA Project Director Dr Devender Singh Thakur attended the event.