Virbhadra Singh launches Mandi Vikas Abhiyan

5 Dariya News

Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) 15-Oct-2015

Chief Minister  Virbhadra Singh today launched 'Mandi Vikas Abhiyan' in Mandi which was a move towards strengthening and empowering women folks besides ensuring their participation in mass awareness campaigns against social evils and compulsory education, especially the girl child and making people aware about ill-effects of disasters.The 'Mandi Vikas Abhiyan' is a campaign which will incorporate the components of other schemes as Meri Laadli, components of Disaster Management and financial literacy.The Chief Minister presided over the awards distribution function at Vipasha Sadan at Bheuli in Mandi today, to celebrate International Rural Women Day where as many as 588 Mahila Mandals of district Mandi under  Rural Women Sanitation Programme participated.On the occasion, the Chief Minister said that such type of campaigns as 'Meri Laadli' and ‘Total Sanitation campaigns' needs to be started all over the State. He said that success of such type of campaign rests on women folks and their participation was more important.

Lauding the efforts of the district administration, he said that the sex ratio in border area of Himachal Pradesh was quite less and such areas needs to be monitored which would be done effectively by women folks. He said that abortion was a crime under Pre-Natal Diagnostic Act and those found involved in illegal abortion of Girl Child would be punished and  those clinics  involved in illegal abortion of girl child,  their licenses would be cancelled and the defaulters would be put behind the bars.The Chief Minister also appreciated the initiative of  ' Meri Laadli', conceptualised by the district administration to check the growing disparity in sex ratio in the district. He said that it aimed at 'saving the girl child' and to bring behavioural change in the mindset of the society towards the girl child. He hoped that the approach of Meri Laadli would bring a more positive thinking of about the notion of Baby Girl. He also honoured the parents of newly born girl child under the 'Meri Laadli' campaign. "Women can bring revolution in the society and I hope that a day would come when there won't be any illegal abortion of Girl Child in our State and the mindset regarding preference of male child, which is deeply engrained in minds of the people would be converted through community centric approach" he said. The Chief Minister also distributed district and block level prizes to Mahila Mandals of the district.

The Chief Minister also performed the foundation stone for conservation and up-gradation of the historic precincts and building projects at Mandi. It includes Vijay Senior Secondary School, beautification of Chahota Bazzar, beautification of Tarna temple and its premises,  parking complex of Bhimakali temple, river banks (ghats) and heritage walks, renovation of Victoria bridge, roads, foot paths, convention hall and parking near Visco resorts Mandi including over half dozen temples as Shani dev temple, Neel Kanth temple, Shiv Rudra temple, Tamberpati temple, Bholenath temple by removing old paint and using anti-fungal wash with coats of ethyl silicate. 

Health Minister Shri Kaul Singh Thakur said that the child sex ratio was far better in Himachal Pradesh which was at present 1000/916 and there were few areas where the sex ratio was declining and the child sex ratio in  Sandhol, Baldwada and Ladbhadol  and other few medical blocks needs to be improved. He said that the Panchayats having better sex ratio would be awarded with an amount of Rs. 50 thousand. Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, Shri Anil Sharma and Excise and Taxation Minister Prakash Chaudhary also spoke on the occasion and lauded the role of district administration in making sanitation campaign a success. They also lauded the ' Meri Laadli' initiative and said that child sex ration was far better in Mandi. Pratibha Singh former Member of Parliament and Chairperson of State Hospital Welfare Section said that it seems like a dream coming true to see the sanitation drive being the most successful and lauded the efforts of the district administration to spread this drive not only in urban areas but in rural areas too. She said that the efforts of the women folk of district Mandi had proved that 'where there is a will, there is a way'. She said that it was also a step towards 'women boldness' and women empowerment as when the woman becomes empowered, the whole society gets empowered. She also appreciated their efforts cleanliness. She said that such campaign should be launched throughout the State to maintain and protect the greenery and beauty of the State.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, Shri Sandeep Kadam briefed about the sanitation drive undertaken in Mandi during last one year. He also detailed about the motive of the drive and said that 5,000 camps were organised besides maintaining and cleaning the natural rural water sources both in urban and rural areas. He said that the women folk contributed a lot thereby digging around 5,000 pot holes besides ensuring proper disposable of solid, liquid and bio- degradable waste to avoid littering. He said that of as many as 1,050 drinking water tanks and public toilets had been cleaned under the sanitation drive. The Chief Minister and Smt. Pratibha Singh were accorded warm welcome at Paddal ground by Health Minister Shri Kaul Singh Thakur and others earlier in the forenoon today on reaching Mandi.

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister,Shri Anil Sharma, Excise and Taxation Minister Shri Prakash Chaudhary, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Shri Sohan Lal, Political Advisor to Chief Minister Shri Rangila Ram Rao, OSD to Chief Minister Shri Amit Pal Singh, DCC President Shri Puran Chand, Chairman SC/ST, Shri Tek Chand Dogra, Chairman Milkfed, Shri Chet Ram Thakur, Chairman Khadi Board and Handloom, Shri Chandershekhar Thakur, Chairman, Zila Parishad, Shri Khiramani, Divisional Commissioner, Shri Devesh Kumar and   SP Shri Prem Singh Thakur were also present on the occasion amongst others.