Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today announced opening of Government Degree College at Kumarsain in Shimla district with financial estimate of Rupees five crore for the construction of the college building. He also announced Sub-Tehsil for Kotgarh and upgrading the community health centre, Kumarsain as 50-bedded hospital along-with construction of additional hospital block.He made these announcements while addressing a massive public meeting at Baragaon in Kumarsain tehsil after inaugurating the Behna Khud to Baragaon lift water supply scheme constructed at a cost of Rs. 558.20 lakh. The scheme will benefit over 11,000 people of 82 hamlets of five gram panchayats of the area.The Chief Minister also announced senior secondary schools for Shalota and Kotighat and to upgrade Teshan middle school and Sanawagi government primary school. He said that a PWD rest house would be constructed at Kangal besides constructing a new rest house at Baragaon. He directed to renovate the old rest house of Baragaon.
He said that Himachal Pradesh was fast emerging as fruit bowl of the country. The horticulture sector, especially apple production has been significantly contributing to strengthen the economy of the State. The State government was providing 80 percent subsidy on anti-hail nets which was the only solution for saving the fruit trees and apple crop. He said that previous BJP government introduced the outdated anti-hail gun technology which had failed many years back in Europe. He urged the people to take up floriculture and off-season vegetable production which has vast scope of income besides there exists favourable climatic conditions for the same. Shri Virbhadra Singh said that he had been extensively touring the different parts of the State to directly interact with the people to know their problems and was ensuring timely disposal of their grievances, as people of the State were his biggest strength during his entire political career of more than five decades and coordinating with him for taking the State on path of prosperity.Charging the previous BJP government for ignoring the interests of the State, Shri Virbhadra Singh said that it was due to the sincere efforts of the successive Congress Government's that Himachal Pradesh as of now stands as a role model not only for other hilly States but also holds prominence in the Big State's category. He said that educational and health institutes had been opened in far-flung areas of the State to provide better facilities to the people at their door-steps.He directed the Deputy Commissioner to get vacated the illegal possession of land of ex-MLA late Raja Raghuvir Singh in Baragaon by taking it in Government’s possession. He also directed to get elimitated the illegal possession of the government primary school building at Baragaon.
Earlier, Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of Interpretation Centre at hotel Hattu of HPTDC in Narkanda. He said that Government of India has sanctioned Rs. 16 lakh for developing the camping site at Narkanda and Deputy Commissioner, Shimla had provided Rs. 4.95 lakh for upgrading the road connecting the Haatu hotel with the National Highway.Smt. Vidya Stokes, Irrigation & Public Health Minister while appreciating the initiative of the State Government for accelerating the pace of the development, said that all promises made to the people of the State were being fulfilled on priority adding that many functional posts in various departments remained vacant during previous BJP government's tenure, which were being filled on priority. She said that government was committed for providing adequate drinking water and irrigation facility to the people of the State. She assured the people of the area that all their demands would be fulfilled in a phased manner. Smt. Stokes thanked the Chief Minister for fulfilling the long cherished demand of a college at Kumarsain, sub-tehsil at Kotgarh and for upgrading CHC Kumarsain, which would go a long way in facilitating the people of the area.Shri Vijay Pal Khachi, member HPCC, also spoke on the occasion.Smt. Vijaya Verma, Pradhan, Gram Panchyat Baragaon welcomed the Chief Minister and apprised him with the demands of the area.Shri Surender Kumar, ex BDC member proposed vote of thanks.Shri Kehar Singh Khachi, District Rural Congress President, Shri Brij Lal, Chairman, Kailash Federation, Shri Atul Sharma, Vice Chairman, SIDC, Shri Devender Shyam, Advisor, Marketing Board, Shri Rupesh Kanwal, Member BoD, HPTDC, Shri Natthu Ram, President, Theog-Kumarsain Congress Block, Shri Om Prakash Sharma, Chairman, Narkanda Nagar Parishad, Shri Prahlad Kashyap, Vice Chairman, Zila Parishad, Shri T.G. Negi, Advisor to the Chief Minister, Shri Dinesh Malhotra, Deputy Commissioner, Shri R.K Sharma, Engineer-in-Chief, I&PH, Shri Mohan Chauhan, MD, HPTDC and prominent persons of the area were present on the occasion.