Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 21

The Himachal government plans to construct helipads in all 68 Assembly segments and process to identify suitable lands is in progress, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today told the state Assembly during the question hour.

Replying to a question of Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu (Congress), the Chief Minister also urged the members to assist the government in identifying suitable sites for developing helipads, which are badly needed at the time of emergency and other important occasions.

At present there are 64 helipads in the state and 11 Assembly segments are without helipad. Even the state capital Shimla is without a helipad and the government uses the Annandale helipad of the Army and seeks permission from Rashtrapati Bhawan for landing of chopper at Kalyani helipad near Chharabra, he informed.

Industries minister Bikram Singh informed that a high level committee would be constituted to explore all options for setting up of a cement plant in Chamba district.

Replying to a question of Congress MLA from Dalhousie Asha Kumari, the minister said that efforts had been made in the past also to set up the cement plant but there was no success. The government is trying to find a way out and construction of road has also been taken to facilitate the investors.

Giving the background, the minister said that Broh-Shind limestone deposit was put for e-auction on August 21, 2018 and technical bids were invited on September 25, 2018 with the condition that 100 per cent clinker shall be manufactured within the state and 25 per cent clinker shall be converted into cement within the state. However, no company participated in the technical bid and the auction process could not be completed.

The department again issued an advertisement for auction on December 1, 2018 with January 15, 2019 as the last date for the purchase of tender document but no company purchased the tender document. Even after extending the date for the purchase of tenders to March 15, 2019, there was no response from the bidders.