Development in HP to bring Congress to power: CM

Nahan, Feb 14 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said widespread development in the state during the last four years will bring the Congress Government back to power in the next assembly elections, which are due in February 2008.

''Adverse results in Punjab and Uttaranchal assembly elections will have an impact in Himachal, but widespread development in the last four years will allow the Congress to return to power in 2008,'' he told a news conference here.

Mr Singh said Himachal had performed well in education, health and irrigation and public health sectors during the last four years for which it had been awarded by a prestigious media organisation last year.

In years to come, the state would also do well in power, construction of road network and providing employment to large number of educated youth of the state, he said.

He said the state government has also been successful in getting Centre's approval for the construction of three railway lines of Nangal-Talwara, Chandigarh-Baddi and Bhanopali-Bilaspur, while Jagadhari-Ponta-Dehradun railway line was under Centre's considertion.

The 15-km long Kala Amb-Suketi-Khajurna Bridge would be constructed with an estimated cost of Rs 2.5 crore, while the state government would undertake the reconstruction of Markanda Bridge with the Haryana Government soon, he said.

UNI