Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that National Food Security Bill was a revolutionary step in ensuring food security to all especially deprived persons in the country. He was presiding over Congress Party leaders and office bearers of Hamirpur Parliamentary Constituency meeting at Rajiv Bhawan here today. Shri Virbhadra Singh said that UPA Government under the leadership of UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Vice President, Congress Shri Rahul Gandhi have taken many initiatives for the welfare of the people of the country which includes RTI, RTE, MNREGA and now greater is National Food Security Bill.
Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh had already taken a lead in this direction by providing subsidized pulses, flour, wheat, oil and iodized salt to each ration card holder during his last tenure. He said that previous BJP Government had continued this scheme though with some dilution and left Rs. 122 crore pending liability on this account.
Shri Virbhadra Singh said that Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat is not a tough seat as Congress candidate Major General Vikram Singh had defeated Shri Prem Kumar Dhumal of BJP. He said that Congress Party was 126 years old Party which has rich traditions and regulations. He said that apart from participating in country’s freedom struggle it has taken many decisions for the development and integration of the country. He said that Dr. Y.S. Parmar fought for the statehood and succeeded in getting status of full fledged State. He said that all Congress Chief Ministers strived for the speedy development of this hilly State.Chief Minister said that when Himachal Pradesh was formed and when hilly areas of Punjab was merged the State was lacking in education, electricity, roads and potable water etc. but at present we are far ahead in these areas in the country. He said that when he first time filed his nomination papers on 27th January, 1962 and the election was held on 20th May, 1962 he walked 1375 kms. and people gave full support and affection to him which still is going on for which he is indebted to the people of the State. He stressed the need of unity in the Party and said that party leaders including MLAs, former MLAs and party workers should have direct link with the people in the villages.
Virbhadra Singh said that previous Government had taken many irrational decisions to woo the voters before assembly elections. He said that many colleges were opened during last six months without any proper infrastructure and budget. He said that if the previous Government was serious about opening these colleges they should have opened these earlier with adequate infrastructure and funding. He said that the Congress Government had made the budget provision of Rs. five crore for each new college opened during his previous tenure.
Chief Minister said that previous Government had misused the office machinery and allotted lands in large scale to Cricket Association Company and tapped telephones illegally. He said that frivolous cases like Sagar Katha and CD was framed against him by Dhumal led Government which he fought in the Hon’ble Court of Law and came out clean. He said that he and Congress Government do not act in bias and revenge but all the misdeeds would be inquired by the concerned agencies. He said that Congress Party had prepared a charge sheet of BJP Government and now inquiries pertaining to HPCA land deal, Bemloie Builders and others including illegal phone tapping was being carried out. He said that action would be taken against all the defaulters.Chief Minister said that Government had taken decision to regularise the services of PAT, PARA and PTA teachers which would benefit about 12000 teachers. He said that his Government had regularised the Vidya Upasak teachers appointed by BJP Government but the previous Government let loose horses on PTA teachers for raising their demands.
President, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee Shri Sukhvinder Singh Thakur said that meeting was called to chalk out the roadmap to ensure victory in Hamirpur Lok Sabha Constituency and taking feedback from district and block Congress Presidents and other leaders and workers. He said that State Government had taken many welfare oriented decisions during last seven months and the people of Mandi Constituency had reposed faith in them by giving massive mandate in favour of Congress candidate Smt. Pratibha Singh. He urged the leaders and party workers to work wholehearted and sincerely to ensure victory of Congress candidates in all Lok Sabha constituencies of the State.
Food & Civil Supplies and Transport Minister Shri G.S. Bali detailed about the National Food Security Bill and said that it would provide eatables to 80 crore people in the country. He said that as the development and economic indicators of the people of the State were quite high so only 36 lakh people of the State could be covered under this Food Security Bill. He said that this scheme would be launched on 20th August in the State. He said that he had taken up the matter with concerned Ministry to include certain sections like Single Women, serious patients and handicapped etc. and provide assistance to the State to carry on providing subsidized ration to APL with BPL families.Industries and Information & Public Relations Minister Shri Mukesh Agnihotri said that the present Government had taken many important decisions during past seven months. He said that free travel facilities in HRTC buses to school students, regularisation of various categories of teachers, subsidized ration and filling of thousands of vacant posts in various departments were some of them. He said that rupees one thousand crore Swan Channelization Project which is the biggest in the country was approved for the Una district by the efforts of the Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh. He said that Rs. 122 crore IIIT would be set up at Una which would be 12th in the country. He said that Indian Oil Depot would be opened in Una which would provide work for about 500 trucks. He said that survey was being done by the Army authorities to open a CSD Canteen at Una.
Chairman, State Planning and 20 Point Programme Shri Ram Lal Thakur, former Minister and Incharge Hamirpur Lok Sabha Constituency Shri Chander Kumar, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Shri Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, MLAs Shri Kuldeep Kumar and Bamber Thakur, former MLAs Shri Nikhil Rajour, Shri Manjeet Singh Dogra, President, District Congress Committee (DCC) Una Shri Virender Dharmani, DCC President, Bilaspur Smt. Santosh Dhiman, DCC President, Hamirpur Shri Naresh Thakur, Congress leader from Dharampur Shri Chander Shekhar, all 17 block Congress Committee Presidents and other leaders also spoke on the occasion. MLA Shri Ajay Mahajan, Deputy Chairman State Planning Board Shri G.R. Musafir, Vice Chairman State Water Board Shri Harbhajan Singh Bhajji, President State INTUC Bawa Hardeep Singh, Ms. Monika Bharati, President, State Youth Congress and other prominent leaders of Congress Party and its frontal organizations were present on the occasion