Himachal Pradesh Government has requested the Centre to formulate specific developmental projects suitable for tribal areas of Himalayan Regions which experience heavy snowfall during winters and remain cut off from rest of world for eight months in a year.
Speaking in the conferences of Rural Development Ministers on National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Sat Mahajan, Rural Development Minister said that it was neither practical nor feasible to execute the projects through out year in these areas as normal life is badly affected due to heavy snowfall and adverse climatic conditions and development projects can only be carried out in working season which is just 4 to 6 months in these areas.
Sat Mahajan thanked the Central Government for including Chamba district under the NREGA programme and pleaded for inclusion of more districts in the programme to ensure equitable development of all regions of the State.
Sat Mahajan requested the Central Government for formulating separate norms of financial assistance to hilly states of the country keeping in view the difficult geographical conditions and pleaded for equating Himachal with other North Eastern States in this regard. He demanded that individual employed youth should be treated as unit instead of family unit so that maximum youth could be benefited under the programme. He said that all eligible adults should be provided 100 days employment under the programmes.