Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur met Finance Commission Chairman N K Singh and sought a Rs 2,000-crore special purpose grant to construct an international airport in the Mandi district. Thakur said the Airports Authority of India has completed a technical survey related to obstacle limitation surfaces at Nagchala in the Mandi district and discussions are on for construction of airport fit for the operation of wide-bodied aircraft.
The chief minister requested Singh to consider state-specific grants for infrastructure development in various sectors and railway expansion, an official release said. During the meeting, Thakur said the state is vulnerable to natural disasters, such as flash floods, cloudbursts, forest fires, droughts, cold waves and avalanches, and, therefore, there is a need to enhance the size of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).