Speaking on the occasion of closing ceremony of Northern Region Basketball Championship at Government Senior Secondary School Kandrour in district Bilaspur today, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that the school would be made a model school with all the formalities to be completed at the earliest. He said that all the regions of district Bilaspur would be connected with bridges for year around connectivity to people of the district. The construction work on the much delayed Bagchaal bridge on the Gobind Sagar was underway which would connect Gehadwin and Kotkehloor constituencies reducing the distance by 70 kilometres.The Chief Minister said the Bhakra oustees, who were rendered homeless, had been provided land plots. However, the cases regarding settlement of left-out oustees at Kotdhar, embroiled in protracted litigation for titles, have been taken up with the Centre. It is likely to be settled soon under the mini settlement. He said that those who were acquiring more than the allotted land should also realize the plight of homeless.
He said that the government had provided land for construction of AIIMS as per the requirement of Union Health Ministry, but for reasons unknown, it was difficult to understand as to why the project was being delayed now. Taking a Jibe at Union Health Minister Shri J.P.Nadda, he said that he must be desiring to be the Chief Minister of the state, thereafter to give green signal to the project paving way for construction of AIIMS.He said that the government was committed to provide quality education equally, in both urban and rural colleges functioning in the State. "Though I am criticized for opening educational institutions in large numbers by BJP, but I think they fail to realize the importance of education in the present scenario", he said. It is because of efforts of the present Government that Himachal has been ranked as the first state amongst best big states in the field of education.He also distributed prizes to the winners of the basketball tournament in both men and women categories. He also distributed prizes to the participants and winners of handball championship.
Earlier the Chief Minister laid foundation stone of synthetic track in Luhnu to cost Rs 7.50 crore, foundation stone of Auditorium near girls school to cost rupees five crore in presence of local MLA Shri Bambar Thakur and Chairman 20 Point programme Shri Ram Lal Thakur.He also laid foundation stone of augmentation of Lift Water Supply Scheme for New Bilaspur township to cost Rs 1.12 crore and benefit a population of 18136 by the year 2036 besides present population of around 15000. He also laid foundation stone training centre building of District Panchayat department to cost Rs 5 crore.The Chief Minister also laid foundation stone of Drinking water supply scheme to partially covered habitations for village Harlog, Chaleli, from LWSS Harlog-Chaleli to cost Rs 88.70 lakh, laid foundation stone of water facility to various habitations of village Bari-Bhagot, Bari-Bharan, Rangloh from Lift Water Supply Scheme Talyana phase II on which a sum of Rs 1.19 crore will be spent.He also laid foundation stone of improvement of water supply scheme for Harijan Basti, Deoli, Nalag etc at Beri-Rajadian to cost Rs 97.34 lakh to benefit population of 7500 by 2036.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated a foot bridge over Ali Khud completed with an outlay of Rs. 1.03 crore, inaugurated Forest Rest House at Harlog completed with a cost of Rs 49.67 lakh. Besides, he also inaugurated a new HPPWD Sub-division at Kuthera to make it functional and a Primary Health Centre at Mehri Kathala in hired building.MLA from Bilaspur Shri Bambar Thakur listed the developments of the area and lambasted BJP Chief Shri Satpal Satti for making unfounded statements.The Chief Minister was also given a rousing reception by district Congress committee. Former MLAs Shri Babu Ram Gautam, Shri Tilak Raj, DCC President Shri Kamlinder Kashyap, President Zila Parishad Shri Amarjit Bagga, DCC (Women) Smt. Anjana Dhiman, Nursing Association State President Smt. Bhavna Thakur were also present on the occasion amongst others.