Shimla, Sept. 3 -- Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Thursday raised several issues concerning the state's transport and tourism sectors during a meeting with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, including a request to extend the permissible age of contract-carriage vehicles from 12 to 15 years.

Agnihotri pointed out that the operational age limit for vehicles covered under the All India Tourist Permit (AITP) scheme had already been extended and sought similar relaxation for contract-carriage vehicles operating within Himachal Pradesh. He stressed that the extension should be implemented without compromising road safety.

Following the discussion, a decision was taken to extend the validity period of taxis operating within the state under tourist permits from 12 years to 15 years. Gadkari directed that the required notification be issued in this regard.

Agnihotri also highlighted the shortage of Automated Testing Stations (ATS) in Himachal Pradesh, saying only two such centres were currently functional. He requested that the existing manual fitness-testing system be allowed to continue alongside automated testing until sufficient ATS infrastructure becomes operational across the state.

Gadkari assured the Deputy Chief Minister that the state government's request would be considered sympathetically and sought details on the status of ATS facilities currently under construction.

Agnihotri also sought intervention for connecting the Amritsar-Hoshiarpur National Highway with the highway network between Pandoga, near the Punjab-Himachal border, and Jhalera in Una district. Necessary instructions were issued on the request, according to the state government.

Later in the day, Agnihotri attended the concluding session of the two-day National Departmental Water Security Summit organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit deliberated on water security, conservation, drinking water supply, efficient management of water resources and the use of modern technology. Speaking at the summit, Agnihotri said water conservation was among the country's key priorities, particularly amid climate change and changing weather patterns. He said Himachal Pradesh needed to protect its natural water sources, strengthen drinking water schemes and adopt scientific and sustainable methods for managing water resources.

He called for greater participation of local communities in conservation efforts and urged that water conservation be turned into a people's movement.

He called for greater participation of local communities in conservation efforts and urged that water conservation be turned into a people's movement. Agnihotri also stressed the need for stronger Centre-state coordination and sharing of best practices, saying long-term planning and modern technology would be crucial for sustainable water management.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.