Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh while addressing a mammoth public meeting today at Chopal in district Shimla said that he was well versed with every nook and corner of the area and grievances of the people. He stressed for preservation of environment and culture.He said that few people in the area were so active that they had finished all the forest around adding that “Van Mafia was so active particularly in Chopal area that I had to enter the politics on advice of Indira Gandhi to control degradation of environment and deforestation of the State”.“The area has witnessed massive development since last many decades and I assure that the Government would concentrate more on the roads in this area and is committed for upgradation of existing roads and constructing new roads” said he.Referring to the complaints regarding shortage of teachers in the area he said, “as per my knowledge there is no such a big shortage of teachers as being reported here, I will see to it and take necessary action as deemed fit, if teachers were found absent from the educational institutions in the area”.He lauded the efforts of MLA Balbir Verma and Chairman, HP Marketing Board Shubhash Manglet for working together for upliftment of the area. He said that I want to give more to the people of the area and I assure that all your demands would be fulfilled on priority.Chief Minister announced for raising one storey of existing GSSS, Chopal.
He announced to start as many as four to five additional trades in existing Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Chopal so as to develop the skills of the youth. The Government has also started Skill Development Allowance Scheme in the State to achieve the objective of providing direct and indirect employment to the youth by developing their skills, said he. He assured for setting up a tourism unit in the area so as to exploit the full potential of its serene beauty. He also announced a Home Guard company for Chopal.Chief Minister performed the foundations Stone laying ceremony of up-gradation of Civil Hospital Chopal to 50 bed hospital thereby enhancing its capacity by 20 beds. A sum of Rs 1.80 crore would be spent on this.The Chief Minister also announced foundation stone laying ceremony of Lift water irrigation Scheme, Thana to be completed at the cost of Rs.300.50 lakhs, which would benefit eight revenue villages of the area and would irrigate 191.91 hectare.He also announced to upgrade Thooth middle school to High School.Later, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the Nakora-Khaddar road constructed at a cost of 216 lakh and 9.5 Kms Dhawas-Baghar-khagna-Thunda road to be completed with an amount of Rs.244.45 lakhs on way to Nerwa.
Earlier, MLA Balbir Verma thanked the Chief Minister for fulfilling the promises regarding development works which the CM had promised during the Lok Sabha elections to the people of the area. The area was ignored during the previous Government, he said and no budgetary provision was made for the roads and other building works, the inaugurations or foundation stone of which had been laid today, said he. He demanded broadening of road from Sainj to Phedaj bridge. He also demanded a polytechnic college for the area, which is a major demand of the people, he said.
Chairman, State Agriculture Marketing Board, Subhash Manglet thanked the Chief Minister for giving due importance to the development of Chopal area and inaugurating and laying foundation stones of various projects worth crores.Rajneesh Khimta, PCC member while welcoming the Chief Minister thanked him for inauguration and other development works announced by the Chief Minister on the occasion and raised the local demands of the area.Member Zila Parishad, Bhupinder Dogra, General Secretary Block Congress Committee Hari Nand Mehta also spoke on the occasion and raised demands of the area.Pradhan GP Chopal Rekha Negi, Chairman APMC Mahendar Stan, Member Board of Directors, Tourism, SP Katytal, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla Dinesh Malhotra, SP D.W. Negi, Chief Engineer PWD RK Gupta, SE (IPH), Suman Vikrant other senior officers of the State Government and people of the area were present in number on the occasion.