Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur online inaugurated and laid foundation stones of various developmental programmes amounting to Rs. 15 crore in Mandi district during a function held at Mandi on Sunday.He inaugurated the primary health centre Pandoh and Bhimakali parking at Mandi town under Asian Development Bank funding to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 9 crore. This multi-storied building will have facility to park 86 vehicles besides a hall with sitting capacity of around 300 people. He also inaugurated lift water supply scheme from Kangnidhar to Dudar Bharaun in gram panchayat Dudar Bharaun of Tehsil Sadar. He also laid foundation stones of new building of government primary school Bal Mani (U-block) and providing of FHTC to remaining households of various villages in gram panchayat Tilly Kehanwal and Santardh in Tehsil Sadar.Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that state government is determined to provide better facilities and develop the towns of the state and keeping in this view Palampur, Solan and Mandi towns had been given the status of Municipal Corporations. The government had to amend the Act in the Vidhan Sabha as Mandi and Palampur were not fulfilling the population criteria as per the census of 2011. This decision would help in further development of these towns as there would be special budget provisions and they would also get various developmental projects form the government of India as well. He said that government has also constituted seven new Nagar Panchayats, one Nagar Parishad and 387 new Gram Panchayats to facilitate the people of the state.He expressed concern over the constantly rising cases of Covid-19 in the state and said that Mandi district was having highest number active cases as of today.
He asked the people to be more cautious during winters and festive season as there were more chances of further spread of this virus. If required, the government would not hesitate in taking stern steps as every life is precious and spread of this pandemic needed to be checked. He added that the government of India has provided 500 ventilators, 500 oxygen concentrators to the state and as of now there was no scarcity of PPE kits, masks and sanitizers in the state.The Chief Minister said that Corona has hampered various developmental works initiated by the state government but government was resolute to realise these projects in the near future. The government would ensure that all the projects see the light of the day a new era of development and prosperity usher in the state.Jai Ram Thakur said that keeping in view the Covid crisis, the state government has started Shahri Rozgar Yojana for providing employment to the urban people on the analogy of MNREGA and Himachal Pradesh was the first state to take this step.Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh Thakur expressed his gratitude towards the Chief Minister for giving status of Municipal Corporation to Mandi and said that this would enable the people to get various facilities. He said that the work on airport at Nagchala and Shiv Dham at Mandi would soon start which would give new dimension to tourism in the district. He said that with a view to give boost to horticulture sector, the state was implementing the first phase of Rs. 1688 crore ADB funded Shiva project in lower districts of the state by providing facility of drip irrigation, solar panel, CA store and marketing etc.President of the Mandi Nagar Parishad Suman Thakur thanked the Chief Minister for fulfilling the demand of declaring Nagar Parishad Mandi as Municipal Corporation and carrying out various developmental and beautification works for the town.Various NGO’s and organisations Mandi honoured the Chief Minister and thanked him for giving the status of Municipal Corporation to Mandi town.State BJP President Suresh Kashyap, MLA’s Anil Sharma, Vinod Kumar, Rakesh Jamwal, Prakash Rana and Jawahar Thakur, Chairman, Milkfed Nihal Chand Sharma, Zila Parishad Chairman Sarla Thakur was also present on the occasion.