Mandi: Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi on Friday inaugurated Himachal Pradesh’s first HP SHIVA monorail project at the Palhota-2 HP SHIVA Cluster in Mandi district, marking a step towards modernising agricultural infrastructure and easing the transportation of farm produce in difficult terrain.
Constructed at a cost of approximately Rs. 20 lakh, the one-kilometre-long monorail facility is expected to benefit farmers and horticulturists by facilitating the transportation of fruits and other agricultural produce across steep and sloping areas. The Palhota-2 cluster covers 28.44 hectares and is associated with 85 farmer families.
Speaking on the occasion, Negi said the project would help reduce transportation difficulties, save time and labour, and make the movement of agricultural produce more convenient for farmers working in challenging geographical conditions.
He said the state government was making continuous efforts to introduce modern technology into the horticulture sector, strengthen farmers’ economic conditions and improve basic infrastructure in rural areas. Modern facilities such as monorail systems, he added, could play an important role in improving productivity and supporting the growth of horticulture in Himachal Pradesh.
The minister also highlighted the ongoing implementation of the Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition (HP SHIVA) project, which is being funded by the Asian Development Bank at a cost of Rs. 1,292 crore. The project is being implemented across seven districts—Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Solan, Sirmaur and Una—with the primary objective of increasing the income of farming families.
Negi said that, keeping farmers’ interests in mind, the duration of the HP SHIVA project had been extended by two years, from June 2028 to June 2030.
He further said that February 27, 2027, had been fixed as the deadline for completing all activities across 3,000 hectares covered under the first phase of HP SHIVA and ensuring the handover of all clusters to farmers.
The introduction of the monorail facility at Palhota-2 is expected to provide a practical solution to transportation challenges in hilly orchards, where steep slopes and difficult access often increase the time, effort and cost involved in moving agricultural produce.
