New Delhi, May 27 (). Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu on Saturday urged the Center to return Rs 9,242 crore deposited by the state under the New Pension Scheme (NPS) to the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
Participating in the Eighth Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Saturday, the Chief Minister urged the Center not to reduce last year’s deposits of Rs 1,779 crore under NPS from the borrowing limit of this financial year. requested and the decision taken on March 27 should also be reviewed.
Sukhu also urged the Center to remove the cap on receiving external aid for the next three years and sought the Centre’s intervention for early approval of proposals submitted to the Department of Economic Affairs.
He also urged for 100 per cent central funding for the strategic Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Leh railway line and to consider the land acquisition cost as the state’s contribution.
The Chief Minister requested for inclusion of ropeway projects under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, besides seeking special financial assistance to complete the construction of medical colleges in the state.
Sukhu also requested to provide option of CAPEX model (Capital expenditure) along with OPEX model (Operational expenditure) under the financial assistance to be provided by Government of India for procurement of e-buses.
Briefing about the vision and initiatives of the State, the Chief Minister said that his government was keen to develop Himachal Pradesh as a green energy state. He said that tourism is being developed under the concept of Green Himachal and environment is being protected.
He said that efforts are on to reduce the carbon footprint and most of the diesel buses of the state roadways would be replaced by e-buses in the coming years.
SGK/
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