Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today announced upgradation of Nihri Sub Tehsil to Tehsil besides laying foundation stone of Government Degree College at Nihri in Sundernagar area of Mandi district. Addressing an impressive gathering at Nihri amidst snowfall, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that the State Government during the present tenure was laying special emphasis on creating best infrastructure for education and health. He said that during the present tenure, the State Government had announced opening of 14 degree colleges in different parts of the State with a budgetary provision of Rs. five crore each for creating necessary infrastructure. He said that today the State was emerging as an education hub of the country.Virbhadra Singh said that it was co-incidence that the Nihri High School was upgraded by him to Senior Secondary School during his earlier tenure and now he had laid the foundation stone of Government College at Nihri. He said that Himachal Pradesh had emerged as a front runner State in health, education and investment amongst big States of the country. He said that credit of this goes to the successive Congress Governments in the State and at the Centre.
Chief Minister said that Shri Narendra Modi was media hype as no such wave has its effect in the country. He said that Shri Modi was earlier made in-charge of Himachal BJP and the Congress Party won the Vidhan Sabha elections by over two third majority. He said that again when Shri Narendra Modi, as Chief Minister of Gujarat visited the State to campaign for BJP candidates, the Congress Party again emerged victorious. Shri Virbhadra Singh announced opening of Police Chowki at Nihri and upgradation of Primary Health Centre Nihri to Community Health Centre. He also announced opening one Primary Health Centre at Gram Panchayat Balag. Chief Minister also announced upgradation of Government High Schools Badan, Jarral and Bara Hokadi to Government Senior Secondary Schools. He also announced upgradation of Government Middle Schools Kahachi and Kandar to High Schools and Government Primary School Mahap-Barog to Government Middle School. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Shri Sohan Lal Thakur thanked the Chief Minister for laying foundation stone of Government Degree College at Nihri and upgrading several educational institutions of the area. He said that previous BJP Government had announced opening of College at Nihri just few months before elections, without making any budgetary provisions.
He said that it was during the Chief Ministership of Shri Virbhadra Singh that subsidized ration scheme was started in the State. He also thanked the Chief Minister for fixing the income limit of eligibility for different schemes at Rs 35,000, as this would benefit lakhs of beneficiaries. Shri Dile Ram Chauhan, Senior Congress leader welcomed the Chief Minister. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Shri Mansa Ram, former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Shri Tek Chand Dogra, Senior Congress leader Shri Sant Ram Gupta, President Block Congress Committee, Sundernagar Shri Hemant Kumar, President, Gram Panchayat Nihri Shri Dilip Kumar, President, Mahila Congress, Sundernagar Smt. Seema Verma, Deputy Commissioner Shri Devesh Kumar, Superintendent of Police Shri R.S. Negi and other senior officers were present on the occasion among others.