Shimla:  The state government has given a green light for HIMUDA to acquire land for the "Mountain City" project near Jubbar-Hatti Airport, designed to alleviate congestion in Shimla.

This ambitious initiative, with an estimated cost of around Rs. 1373 crores, is expected to boost economic activities, create employment opportunities, and establish a modern city with advanced seismic technology.

CM Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu chaired the 52nd meeting of the Board of Directors of the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) and announced the Mountain city.

Other noteworthy decision was the approval of a One-Time Settlement (OTS) policy, providing relief to allottees across the state who had long-standing disputes over payment dues.

 This policy allows them to settle their dues at a significantly reduced rate, not only alleviating their financial burden but also consolidating resources for HIMUDA's future projects.

Chief Minister Sukhu stressed the importance of adopting the latest construction techniques and leveraging IT platforms to improve efficiency and service delivery.

The use of electronic measurement books (e-MBs) was recommended to streamline record-keeping and reduce the reliance on physical documentation. Additionally, the tendering process will be expedited through the e-tendering system in line with the latest government guidelines.

The Chief Minister also directed HIMUDA to continue working towards sustainable and inclusive urban development, highlighting the need to improve the sizes of flats and enhance user-friendliness.

He urged officials to take innovative initiatives in their projects and organize exposure visits for employees to foster capacity building.

Meeting was attended by Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Bharat Khera, Principal Secretary (Finance, Housing, UD & TCP) Devesh Kumar, and others,