While presiding over a review meeting of various developmental projects being undertaken in Mandi district at Vipasha Sadan Mandi today, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur directed the officers to ensure time bound completion of the developmental projects to avoid cost escalation and to provide benefits of development to the people in time. Jai Ram Thakur said that work on developmental projects worth Rs. 4000 crore were being executed in Mandi district. He said that these include civil works in PWD, Jal Shakti, HPSEBL, Tourism, and other departments. He said that in Mandi town developmental projects worth Rs. 200 crore were being executed which include ADB assisted Rs. 41 crore beautification projects, Rs. 83 crore Drinking Water Augmentation Project for Mandi Town, Rs. 69 crore Sewerage Scheme, Rs. 50 crore for roads, buildings and bridges and Rs. 25 crore Victoria Bridge which had been inaugurated. Chief Minister said that as many as 137 PWD projects have been sanctioned for the district with a project cost of Rs 1202 crore, which includes 77 projects worth Rs 344 crore under PMGSY. He said that as many as 54 drinking water, irrigation, sewerage and flood protection projects were also under execution in the district by the Jal Shakti Department with a total investment of Rs 1535 crore.Jai Ram Thakur said that the announcements of Chief Minister must be given top priority. He directed the officers to ensure that any hindrances and bottlenecks should be removed immediately. He said that any laxity in this regard would be viewed seriously. He said that special focus must be laid on projects nearing completion for their time bound completion. He said that the Corona pandemic has adversely affected the pace of development, thus extra efforts must be made to complete the projects within the time period.
He also directed the officers to use funds allocated to the respective departments within stipulated period and any lapse in this matter would be viewed seriously. He also stressed the need for optimum utilisation of un-utilised funds by the departments.Chief Minister said that the monsoon season was round the corner and directed the officers to make adequate preventive arrangement to minimise losses due to rains. Later, the Chief Minister laid foundation stones and inaugurated developmental projects worth Rs. 5.61 crore on the occasion, which include inauguration of District Panchayat Resource Centre under National Gram Swarozgar Abhiyan to be constructed at a cost of Rs 2.40 crore, laying of foundation stones of bye pass from Treasury Office to Sakodi Bridge to be completed by spending Rs. 2.71 crore and Trekkers Hut to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh under Nei Rahen Nei ManzilenYojna.Earlier, while interacting with the party functionaries, Chief Minister said that the Corona pandemic was not yet over and one must remain cautious so as to check spread of the virus.Chief Minister was also presented a cheque of Rs. 1.50 lakh by Chairperson Nagar Parishad Mandi Suman Thakur towards H.P. SDMA COVID-19 State Disaster Response Fund on the occasion.Agriculture Minister Dr. Ram Lal Markanda, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Virender Kanwar, Transport and Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur, Member of Parliament Ram Swaroop Sharma, MLAs Anil Sharma, Inder Singh Gandhi, Jawahar Thakur and Prakash Rana, Principal Private Secretary to Chief Minister Dr. R.N. Batta, Deputy Commissioner Rugved Thakur, SP Mandi Gurdev Sharma and other officer were present on the occasion.