Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 36 water-resource and public-works projects worth Rs 419 crore in Bhatiyat constituency of Chamba district, covering drinking water supply, sewerage, flood protection and road connectivity.
The projects were announced during Sukhu’s visit to Chowari, where he inaugurated several water supply and irrigation schemes. The largest among them is a Rs 60.8-crore lift water supply project intended to cover villages across the constituency. Other inaugurated water-sector works include the Rs 19.2-crore sewerage scheme for Chowari, a Rs 11.6-crore water supply scheme for Samote and adjoining villages, and Rs 4.2 crore in flood protection works for Jatroon, Trimath and Saloh.
Water supply projects at Kakira Kasba and Gahar, costing Rs 37.5 crore and Rs 8.8 crore respectively, were also inaugurated. The projects are intended to strengthen basic civic services in settlements where water supply, sanitation and protection from flooding are handled through public infrastructure administered by state departments.
The chief minister also laid foundation stones for seven Jal Shakti projects. These include a Rs 31.5-crore sewerage system for Sihunta and adjoining areas, water supply improvements worth Rs 34 crore, and firefighting systems for Kakira, Chowari, Sihunta and Samote. The announcement places water and sanitation works alongside emergency-response infrastructure in the constituency’s development programme.
Under the public works department, five road and bridge projects were inaugurated. They include the upgrade of the Chowari-Jot road at a cost of Rs 20.3 crore and the construction of a bridge over the Narellue stream on the Sihunta-Jolna Khas road. Foundation stones were also laid for 14 public-works projects covering several link roads, a new circuit house at Chowari costing Rs 9.7 crore and a combined office building at Sihunta costing Rs 22 crore.
The package combines projects at different stages: some have been inaugurated and are therefore presented as completed works, while others have only received foundation stones and will proceed to the implementation stage. The supplied report does not specify individual completion schedules, contracting arrangements or the funding split between the state government and other agencies.
Addressing a public meeting at Chowari Chowgan, Sukhu announced that a civil court would be opened at Chowari and that CBSE-affiliated schools would be established in the constituency. He also announced Rs 10 crore for road projects, adding to the transport infrastructure works included in the wider package.
Sukhu further said the state government would launch the Mukhyamantri Ka Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana from the following month. Under the proposed scheme, eligible women from poor families would receive financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month, 300 units of free electricity and free medical treatment through health insurance cards. According to the chief minister, around 20,000 women from 10,000 eligible families in Bhatiyat would benefit.
The next steps for the foundation-stone projects, including the sewerage, water supply, firefighting, roads and public-building works, will determine when the announced infrastructure becomes operational for residents. The state government has not provided project-wise timelines in the supplied announcement.
