“I believe in peace and to reconcile in life and my mission in life is to unite rather than divide and I believe that every citizen should be a harbinger of love and peace”, said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh while presiding over the silver Jubilee celebration function of Bakshi Tek Chand (BTC) DAV Degree College, Banikhet in district Chamba today. He said the Right to exercise franchise was our constitutional right and the governments in the democratic set up rise to power and fall on basis of right to franchise by its citizens irrespective of caste, colour and creed. He said that since India was a secular country, it did not mean that we pressurise others to vote for a particular party or a person. We have to strengthen our Nation and not restore to vandalism or treating others in mean ways. The solidarity and fraternity leads us to built a strong and a vibrant nation, he said.
He said few people resort to agitation just for the sake of agitation as and when they loose elections. The political parties should accept the defeat in elections soberly rather than creating furore and indulge in mudslinging and should practice clean politics, he said.The Chief Minister assured for providing No Objection Certificate (NOC) for starting post graduate classes in college as per the norms and also assured for examining the issue regarding the Grant-in-aid which would necessarily be looked after. He also issued directions for selection of government land somewhere near the college so that the same could be provided for construction of additional block.He also performed foundation stone of administrative block of BTC College, Banikhet to cost Rs. 90 lakh.
He said that his institute was also one of the oldest institutes imparting quality education to the youth of the area and the government would provide all possible assistance to the college whenever required.Today Himachal Pradesh was leading Hill State as far as development was concerned and he credited the development of the State to the successive congress governments right from the times of Dr.YS Parmar.He said that the State had covered many milestones in the field of education, in developing its roads as the road length today was around 34000 kilometers as compared to around 300 kilometers during the formation of the State. Today every household was having power, water facility and other amenities. He said Congress believes in secularism and we are one right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, but it has been observed till late that few people who contest elections on promising notes seem to indulge in casteism and regionalism as and when the election near up. Such type of people are not our friend but our foes, he said and the coming generation should be aware of such communal forces, he said. He exhorted the students to always follow the path of truth and tolerance.
He said that fraternity and brotherhood was necessary feature for building strong and vibrant India.He said that the present government had opened as many as 24 degree colleges during the last two and half years and the strength of the colleges had gone up to 94 in the State. He said that many private colleges were also contributing and supplementing the efforts of the State government in imparting quality education.The Chief Minister also distributed prizes to the students who excelled in academics and other extra curricular activities on the occasion. He also announced a sum of Rs. 51 thousand for promotion of cultural activities.Smt. Asha Kumari, local MLA and Secretary AICC, who was also guest of honour, greeted and honoured the Chief Minister. She credited the development of the area to the Chief Minister besides opening of SDM office at Dalhousie and Fire-brigade station at Banikhet. She urged for early completion of Polytechnic building. She also thanked the Chief Minister for getting incorporated Tunnuhatti-Banikhet-Chamba-Bharmour road as National Highway and for getting released the finances. She said that we were looking forward for his seventh term as Chief Minister as he was a fighter and will remain ever so.
While addressing on the occasion, Chairman Pollution control Board, Kuldeep Singh Pathania congratulated the Principal, faculty and Children of the college for celebrations of its Silver Jubilee celebration. He said the college had made its mark in the field of education and produced many meritorious students.Principal, BTC College, Baljeet Singh Patial read out the annual report of the college.A colourful cultural presentation accompanied by skits also formed the part of the celebrations. Forest Minister, Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Vice- Chairman, OBC, Chander Kumar, President, District Congress Committee, Surinder Bhardwaj, Vice-Chairman State Forest Corporation, Kewal Singh Pathania, Chairman, APMC, Chamba, Neeraj Nayyar, Ex-MLA, Gandharava Singh Secretary, HPCC, Pawan Nayyar, Chairman State Haj Committee, Dildar Ali Bhatt, Vice-chairman Block Samiti, Salooni, Dharam Singh Pathania, Trustee of BTC College and CEO of Earth Foundation, Smt. Deepti Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner, Chamba, Sudha Devi, SP D.K. Chaudhary were also present on the occasion amongst others.