Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, May 20
Amid ongoing discussions about the appointment of a new Himachal Pradesh Congress president, Cabinet Minister Vikramaditya Singh has called for strong and influential leadership at the party’s helm. He asserted that the Congress should avoid installing a mere “rubber stamp” and instead appoint a leader with significant grassroots influence across at least three to four districts.
“The final decision on the Pradesh Congress Committee reorganization lies with the central leadership,” Singh said, adding that the credit for bringing Congress to power in the state belongs collectively to all senior leaders.
Speaking on infrastructure development, State Public Works Minister Vikramaditya also provided updates on roadworks under Phase 4 of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). He said that Himachal Pradesh is leading the nation in preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) and uploading them to the NAREDA portal. However, he pointed to land acquisition as the biggest hurdle in timely road construction.
“Without public cooperation, road building is not possible,” he said, urging citizens to assist by offering land gift deeds for the projects. Vikramaditya Singh also said the PWD would request the Chief Minister to allow joint efforts with the Panchayati Raj Department to speed up land acquisition. Additionally, he plans to meet Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to push for special category status for the state.
Citing national interest, he said, “Turkey’s apple imports are being boycotted, and their firms have been excluded from airport operations by the Civil Aviation Ministry. There can be no compromise on internal security.”
He assured that any decision regarding Turkish firms operating in the state will be taken keeping national security and public sentiment in mind.
