Talking to newspersons at a "Meet the Press" programme at Press Club here, he said the priorities of his government would be to generate more resources within the state to combat poverty and provide jobs to the unemployed.

Dhumal said three new power projects two of 4,000 mw each and one of 5,000 mw -- were in the pipeline. The state had immense hydel potential of 21,000 mw, of which only 4,000 mw had been tapped so far, he added.

He said his government was negotiating with the Ministry of Railways for a direct train from Mumbai to Kalka and more trains on the Kalka-Shimla narrow-gauge. The Chief Minister said his government was also negotiating with the Centre for subsidised air services to the hill state to encourage tourism.

He said the Himachal government was for an amicable solution to inter-state issues and would urge its neighbouring "brothers" to have sympathetic consideration for the matters which have been hanging fire for the past so many years.

He said a breakthrough had already been achieved recently in a meeting of chief secretaries of HP and Punjab in which the Punjab government has agreed to provide employment to one member of each 500 oustee families in the Thein Dam Project.