89 projects worth Rs 415.80 crore announced/dedicated; roads, market access and rural infrastructure dominate three-day visit
Shimla, Oct 4,
The Himachal government’s three-day political and administrative outreach to Rohru and Rampur has put the state’s apple economy and rural connectivity at the centre of its development pitch, with road projects, bridge connectivity and higher procurement support announced alongside a large package of infrastructure works.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu dedicated or inaugurated 89 development projects worth Rs 415.80 crore during his October 1–3 visit to the two constituencies—61 projects worth Rs 182.87 crore in Rohru and 28 projects worth Rs 232.93 crore in Rampur.
However, the individual announcements indicate that connectivity to apple-producing villages remains one of the government’s major development priorities.
The government has sanctioned Rs 36 crore for the Tikker-Jarol-Gahan road, which it says will facilitate transportation of apples from the area to markets. At Bhatwari, the Chief Minister also announced Rs 20 lakh for the Chingwari road and assured residents that the Barshil Bridge would be made motorable.
The road push coincides with another announcement directly affecting apple growers. The government said the procurement price under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) will be increased by Rs 1 per kg, from Rs 12 to Rs 13, from December 1.
Taken together, the announcements address two different sides of the same horticulture problem—the price received by growers and the infrastructure available to move produce out of remote mountain areas.
The tour also highlighted persistent gaps in rural education infrastructure. New school buildings worth Rs 2 crore each were announced for PM Shri Government Model Senior Secondary School, Rohru, Kasha-Pat and Government Senior Secondary School, Racholi.
Schools at Jangla, Chirgaon, Dhamwari and Taklech were also announced for transition to the CBSE system.
In Rampur, students raised concerns about teacher shortages and teachers being assigned non-academic duties, prompting the Chief Minister to assure them of action.
Transport connectivity was another recurring issue. At Kasha-Pat, the government said efforts were being made to start a bus service through Taklech to Rampur, potentially improving access to the subdivision for residents of the remote area.
The government also used the visit to expand its welfare and political messaging. Sukhu participated in Anti-Chitta rallies in both constituencies and reiterated the target of making Himachal Pradesh a Chitta-free state.
At Nogli, Rs 5.78 crore was distributed among 1,471 registered construction workers and their dependents under various welfare schemes of the Himachal Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.
The government has highlighted the Chief Minister’s overnight stays at Bhatwari and Kasha-Pat as a first for a Himachal Chief Minister in both locations.
But beyond the political optics of the visit, the concentration of announcements around roads, bridges, schools, transport and horticulture points to a more immediate issue facing Rohru and Rampur: development in these constituencies continues to be closely tied to basic physical connectivity and access to markets and public services.
The next test for the government will be implementation of the announcements, particularly the road and school projects, at a time when accessibility remains a critical determinant of economic activity and public service delivery in the two mountainous constituencies.
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