Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has urged the Centre to adopt separate allocation norms for hill states, highlighting their unique ecological and geographical challenges. He said factors such as forest cover, greening efforts, and environmental contributions must be included in determining annual allocations for the 11 hill states.
The CM made these remarks during a meeting with NABARD Deputy Managing Director Goverdhan Singh Rawat at his residence, Oak Over. Sukhu lauded NABARD’s role in strengthening state–centre coordination and stressed the need for reforms that allow greater flexibility for state governments in project execution.
He requested NABARD to support ground-mounted solar projects and electric buses under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), aligning with the government’s “Green Himachal” vision. Sukhu also sought NABARD’s assistance in building robust supply chains in fisheries and animal husbandry to boost farmers’ income.
NABARD officials flagged challenges faced by cooperative societies due to Section 118 and recommended that milk procurement be managed by PACS. They also pushed for faster computerisation of PACS. Sukhu assured that NABARD’s suggestions would be examined and integrated where feasible.