As Union Minister Nadda visits Chamba, Himachal Assembly Speaker Pathania demands special central package

Chamba: As Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda visited Chamba, Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania made a strong political pitch, urging the central government to provide special assistance to the district under the Aspirational District Programme.

During a central review meeting chaired by Nadda, Speaker Pathania highlighted Chamba’s geographic hardships and urged the Centre to prioritise the region with targeted infrastructural support. He demanded focused intervention in critical sectors like education, road connectivity, tourism and healthcare to ensure balanced development in the remote district.

“This region’s tough terrain and backwardness make it imperative that we receive special support. Without central hand-holding, inclusive development will remain a distant dream,” said Pathania.

He also pressed for the early approval of pending development projects under the Forest Conservation Act and proposed the construction of the Chamba-Chuwari tunnel as part of the proposed Dramman-Sihunta-Chamba-Tissa-Pangi National Highway.
Pathania’s assertive stand is being seen as a strategic move to underline the Congress government’s developmental agenda while also pressing the BJP-led Centre to deliver concrete support.

Minister Nadda, responding to the concerns, assured that the Centre would look into the pending issues and expedite assistance. The timing of Pathania’s demand is being read politically, especially ahead of the upcoming panchayati raj elections in the state, where both BJP and Congress are keen on consolidating ground in the hill districts.

Meanwhile, Chamba MLA Neeraj Nayyar sought increased funding for the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College and the swift approval of detailed project reports related to national highways and bypass construction.

The Aspirational District Programme has become a key talking point in the political narrative of underdeveloped regions, and with this renewed push, Chamba could soon find itself in the spotlight of national policy action

Subhash Mahajan