Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday interacting with locals in the tribal region of Kangra district’s Bara Bhangal in Himachal Pradesh.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
On a two-day visit to Bara Bhangal, one of Himachal Pradesh’s most remote tribal regions in Kangra district, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday (June 28, 2026) called for a distinct brand identity for the area’s renowned rajmah (kidney bean) and urged farmers to adopt natural farming to avail themselves of the government’s Minimum Support Price (MSP).
On Saturday (June 27, 2026), the Chief Minister announced a monthly pension of ₹1,500 for all eligible women in Bara Bhangal and said the region would be developed into an eco-tourism destination.
Mr. Sukhu is the first Chief Minister to spend a night in Bara Bhangal, which remains completely cut off from the rest of the State for several months every winter because of heavy snowfall and the absence of motorable roads.
His visit is part of the Congress government’s ‘Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar’ initiative, aimed at taking the administration to the farthest corners of the State. Over the past few months, he has visited and stayed overnight in Dodra-Kwar and Kupvi in Shimla district, Baga Sarahan in Kullu district, remote villages in the tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur, and other far-flung areas of the State.
Interacting with residents on Sunday (June 28, 2026), the Chief Minister directed officials to develop a distinct brand identity for the famous Bara Bhangal rajmah to enhance its market value. He asked residents to plant walnut and chestnut saplings, assured them of better prices for locally produced meat products, and appealed to farmers to adopt natural farming practices and take advantage of the MSP being offered by the government.
Addressing a public gathering, Mr. Sukhu said he had come to Bara Bhangal to understand and share the hardships faced by the people of the region. “Had politics been my objective, I would have visited more densely populated areas. Our government’s priority is to ensure that development reaches even the remotest corners of the State,” he said.
He also assured the people that the government would declare Bara Bhangal a natural farming panchayat and make efforts to secure Scheduled Tribe status for the region.
The Chief Minister stressed the need to expedite road connectivity to Bara Bhangal and directed officials to invite separate tenders for each kilometre of the proposed road to accelerate its construction.
Published – June 29, 2026 08:33 am IST
