Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that Newspapers play an important role in making people aware about latest happenings alongwith policies and programmes of the Government being initiated for the welfare of people. He was speaking at ‘Pratibha Samman Samaroh-2013’ of Hindi daily Amar Ujala at Peterhoff, here today. Chief Minister alongwith his Cabinet colleagues gave away ‘Pratibha Samman’ to the meritorious students of the plus two and tenth classes of H.P. Board of School Education and Shimla City meritorious students of different Education Boards on the occasion. He said that it was laudable that this group was giving these awards since 2002 to promote the meritorious talent and inspire other students of the State. He said that Amar Ujala was a leading newspaper of the country having daily circulation of over 23 lakh and 3 crore readers.
Shri Virbhadra Singh said that it was a matter of pride that Amar Ujala group started its journey 65 years back and today it had 18 editions and 125 sub- editions. He said that Amar Ujala started its Chandigarh edition in the year 1999 for Himachal Pradesh thereafter publication started from Dharamshala Unit in the year 2005. He said that Amar Ujala was one of the leading newspapers of the Country.Chief Minister said that State Government had taken many welfare and people oriented decisions during past seven months and election manifesto had been adopted as a policy document of the Government. He said that computer net-books would be provided to 5000 meritorious students of 10th and 12th Classes of HP Board of School Education under Rajiv Gandhi Digital Students Scheme. He said that smart classrooms were being opened in 618 Government Senior Secondary Schools and 837 High Schools besides vocational education was being started in 100 schools in the State.
Shri Virbhadra Singh said that incentive money of Rs.75000 would be provided to the students who qualify and take admissions in IIT,IIM and AIIMS. He said that ITI’s would be opened in those assembly constituencies where there were no Government ITI institutions. He said that the schools de-notified by the previous BJP Government were being reopened and free travel facilities from home to school and vice-versa was being provided to all Government school students in HRTC buses since 1st April 2013.Chief Minister said that Government was committed towards welfare of journalists and various steps have been initiated in this direction. He said that awards were being given to the journalists for best development stories which includes Rs. 50000 National Award for best story, Rs. 40000 for best story at State level while Rs. 25000 and Rs. 20000 for 2nd and 3rd State level Awards respectively.
The District level Awards for best story published in newspapers and magazines of Rs. 25000, Rs. 15000 and Rs. 10000 was being given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd best stories respectively. Besides the Award of Rs. 40000,Rs. 25000 and Rs. 15000 was also being given as 1st, 2nd and 3rd Awards for electronics Media. He said that financial assistance was being provided to the media persons under Journalist Welfare Fund Scheme. He said that all Journalist and their families were being covered under Health Insurance Scheme. Executive Editor, Amar Ujala Shri Uday Kumar while welcoming the Chief Minister said that it was co-incidence that Shri Virbhadra Singh has become Chief Minister of the State for record 6th time and had awarded the meritorious students five times earlier at Amar Ujala function and this was his sixth ‘Pratibha Samman’. He said that Amar Ujala got fabulous love and affection of people of Himachal Pradesh as it strived hard to look beyond the news and critical approach.
He said that his group had tried to help the people in time of distress. He cited the example of Kumari Shilpa of Mandi district who topped in Science Stream in Plus two with 97 per cent marks this year. As her family could not afford expenses of higher education so she was making her mind to study in some nearby higher education institution. He said that Amar Ujala published the story and appealed to donate money in her account on which people of the State deposited Rs. 1.50lakh and she was presently studying at prestigious St. Stephen College in Delhi.APG University, Shimla also collaborated with Amar Ujala to organize this ‘Pratibha Samman’. Executive Director of APG University Smt. Priyanka Goyal said about 100 crore had been invested to provide congenial environment to the students. She said that scholarships and concession would be provided to the meritorious, Himachali and students of weaker sections of the society.Assistant Vice President Amar Ujala Shri Mohit Sharma presented vote of thanks.
Irrigation and Public Health Minister Smt. Vidya Stokes, Health Minister Shri Kaul Singh Thakur, Industries and Information & Public Relations Minister Shri Mukesh Agnihotri, Urban Development Minister Shri Sudhir Sharma, Mayor, M.C. Shimla Shri Sanjay Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Shri Tikender Panwar, V.C. HPU Prof. ADN Bajpayee, Chairman, H.P. Board of School Education Shri Balbir Tegta, Principal Secretary Finance Dr. Shrikant Baldi, Deputy Commissioner Shimla Shri Dinesh Malhotra, Vice President Amarujala Shri H.S. Chugh, Cluster Head Shri Mohit Sharma, General Manager Shri Robinder Singh and Resident Editor Himachal, Shri Mritunjay Kumar and other persons associated with Amar Ujala, Director Higher Education Shri Dinkar Burathoki, Director Elementary Education Shri Ashok Sharma and other dignitaries, meritorious students, parents and teacher were present on the occasion.