HP Gov. seeks Rs 11 cr for renovating Raj Bhawan, Town Hall

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Governor Prabha Rau today requested the Centre to immediately sanction Rs 11 crore for the renovation of Raj Bhawan (Barnes Court) and Town Hall in Shimla.

Addressing the Governor' Conference here, she said 91 British era heritage buildings in Shimla were in bad shape, and the Centre should depute experts to advise the State government on renovation of these buildings.

''But the Centre should immediately sanction Rs 11 crore for starting renovation works on two heritage buildings-- Raj Bahwan (Barnes Court) and Town Hall,'' she added.

There are 37 heritage buildings within the heritage zone and 54 heritage buildings outside the heritage zone in Shimla.

Pointing out that the State shares 642 km of border with China, the Governor asked the Centre to continously monitor Parechu lake located partly in China through satellite monitoring.

She said the Pathankot-Jogindernagar railway line, which was of strategic defence importance, should be extended to Leh as China had already linked lhasan with Beijing by broadguage.

She also demanded that work on Rohtang tunnel be expediated.

The Governor also called for increasing the State's quota in armed forces in view of tough topography and excellent gallantry track records of its soldiers.

She also requested the Centre to implement one-rank-one-pension scheme for ex-servicemen.

Assuring that all police stations would be made hi-tech by next month, she demanded that the Central assistance for the modernisation of police force be raised to Rs 30 crore per annum.

She also called for increasing the rice quota from 7,118 MT to 13,340 MT, allowing the State government to levy 10 paisa per unit generation tax on all power units, and making provision of 12 per cent free electricity for all the power projects commissioned before 1990.

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