CHANDIGARH :The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh has presented a comprehensive, balanced and social-oriented budget, said Rajender Guleria, Chairman, CII Himachal Pradesh State Council in a Press Release issued here Monday.

Welcoming the Government decision to allot all projects above 5 MW, through transparent competitive bidding and setting up of separate Directorate to strengthen the department, CII chairman strongly felt that it would go a long way in improving the power situation in the State and thereby, adding a tangible benefit to the industry.

The CII Chairman welcomed the budget saying that the Budget is in the right direction with a specific focus towards farmers through appropriate price agreements and contact farming facilitating them have better access to market information, technological inputs, improved seeds and agricultural practices for high value crops.

On the education front, Guleria commended the focus of enhancing employability of educated youths by improving quality of education, by fulfilling the posts of vacant teachers. Setting up computer labs at all District Libraries and all Senior Secretary Schools is a vary good step to bridge the skill gap for IT Enabled services and BPO industry. To further attract more IT Industry, CII also hailed the setting up of IT Parks cum Townships through a competitive bidding process.

On tourism, CII welcomed the initiatives of the Government to attract high value tourism in the State with a specific focus on "Panchkarma" with the various tourist circuits of the State.

Guleria also hailed the decisions of strengthening Public - Private Partnership in general as well as for infrastructure development, technical education, to build many more motels, ropeways three medical colleges etc. He, however, expressed his concern for revenue gap to the extent of 25% which may lead the State to further debt trap.