Shimla: Public Works and Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh announced that hydraulic parking systems will be developed at around 15 locations in Shimla as part of a ₹1,200 crore urban development initiative aimed at easing congestion and improving parking infrastructure.
The minister said the proposed projects include decongestion measures in key urban zones, development of hydraulic parking, laying of underground utility pipelines, and planned urban townships such as an aerocity in Kangra. He added that the projects will be taken up after submission of detailed project reports (DPRs), with priority approvals expected.
He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 14th District Shimla ITI (Women) Sports Meet held at ITI Chowda Maidan. Emphasising the importance of sports and skill education, Singh said that holistic development requires strong participation in sports, while technical training in Industrial Training Institutes enhances employment prospects in both government and private sectors, as well as self-employment opportunities.
He noted that ITIs across the state are being equipped with modern facilities and that campus placements are enabling students to secure jobs in multinational companies. He added that skill proficiency is key to achieving self-reliance among youth.
On the occasion, the minister announced ₹41,000 from the MLA fund for organising the sports meet, ₹15,000 for ITI Shimla for its performance, and ₹5,000 as an incentive for student Mamta.
The sports meet, held from April 24 to 27, featured multiple competitions. Government ITI Shimla emerged as the overall champion and also secured the overall cultural trophy. In volleyball, ITI Mashobra secured first place, while ITI Jalog finished second. ITI Shimla won the kabaddi and kho-kho titles, with Jubbal and Sunni finishing as runners-up respectively.
In badminton, ITI Shimla secured first place and Kumarsain was runner-up. ITI Mashobra won the solo song competition, while ITI Shimla finished second. ITI Shimla also won the one-act play competition, with ITI Sunni as runner-up. In group song, ITI Shimla secured first place, followed by ITI Mashobra, while ITI Mashobra won the folk dance event with ITI Shimla as runner-up. In the march past, ITI Shimla secured first position and ITI Rampur finished second.
In athletics, Mamta of ITI Shimla was declared best athlete. Winners across events included Diksha (high jump), Kritika (discus throw), Roshni (long jump), Meenakshi (shot put), Mamta (100m and 800m), Kiran (200m), Divya (400m), and Mamta again in the 1500m race.
Among those present were Vivek Mehta, Karthik Thakur, Poonam Thakur, Sanjay Kumar, Suraj Prakash, and students from various ITIs across the district.