NABARD Sanctions ₹713 Crore for Infrastructure Development in Himachal Pradesh

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is implementing 73 development projects worth ₹713 crore in Himachal Pradesh during the current financial year under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).

These include two major projects valued at ₹311 crore — one worth ₹111 crore for setting up 53 electric bus charging stations across 11 districts, including ₹26.57 crore for 11 stations in Kangra district, and another of ₹200 crore for establishing a state-of-the-art automated milk processing plant at Dhagwar, Dharamshala.

The dairy plant, with an initial processing capacity of 1.5 lakh litres per day, expandable to 3 lakh litres, is expected to significantly boost the region’s dairy sector and generate substantial employment opportunities.

This information was shared by Dr. Vivek Pathania, Chief General Manager of NABARD, Himachal Pradesh, while presiding over a regional workshop on RIDF at Dharamshala on Wednesday. The workshop aimed to accelerate the pace of rural infrastructure development in the state.

Reviewing projects underway in Kangra and Chamba districts, Dr. Pathania said NABARD focuses on providing low-cost financial assistance to state governments for building essential rural infrastructure. He urged implementing agencies to ensure timely fund utilization and expedite submission of expenditure claims to facilitate the early completion of projects.

During the workshop, NABARD officials also demonstrated the digital RIDF portal, designed to enable online claim submission for quicker and more transparent disbursement of funds.