Presiding over concluding function of a two-day district level Sipur Mela at Mashobra in Shimla district, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government was well aware of the problems of the rural areas and would come up with a scheme to strengthen the rural economy in the coming times.
He said that the present State Government would buy 10 litres of cow's milk at the rate of Rs. 80 per litre and buffalo's milk at Rs. 100 per litre per day from the cattle rearers as promised by the Congress Party on the eve assembly elections and the government was working to implement this scheme on the ground.
The Chief Minister said that the state government had fulfilled the first guarantee by reinstating the old pension scheme in the first Cabinet meeting which will benefit about 1.36 lakh NPS employees of the State Government.
He said that the State Government has also started to fulfill the other guarantees of the election manifesto and will provide Rs.1500 per month as Indira Gandhi Mahila Samman Nidhi to 2.31 lakh women in the first phase.
He said that the state government had inherited the economic crisis from the previous BJP government and today every person of the state has a debt of about Rs.93,000. He said that the State Government was making earnest efforts to revamp the system and in the next ten years, Himachal Pradesh will emerge as the most prosperous state of the country which would require economic prudent decisions.
He sought the cooperation of people to achieve this goal. He said that despite financial constraints, the development of the State would not be allowed to hamper and simultaneously the State Government is working for resource mobilization.
Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that a scheme would be introduced soon aiming at providing loans to poor children for pursuing higher education at an interest rate of one percent. Apart from this, orphan children have been adopted as Children of the State and Mukhyamantri Sukhashray Yojana has been started.
Under this scheme, provision has been made to cover their education fee, travel expenses once a year, pocket money of Rs. 4000 and offering financial help to build a house.
Additionally, the prisoners have been brought under the ambit of the Himcare scheme and the State Government will bear the burden of the premium of the scheme, he added.
Praising the works done by Anirudh Singh in the Kasumpti assembly area, the Chief Minister said that his experience was taken into account while inducting him in the Council of Ministers and had been given coveted portfolios of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj .
He said that Kasumpti assembly segment has been honoured with a cabinet berth for the first time in 75 years,He announced the metalling of Mashobra to Sipur road within a month so that people of the area do not face any inconvenience.
The Chief Minister offered prayers at Sipur Temple and also released a souvenir.Earlier, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was accorded a rousing welcome on his arrival at Mashbora.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh welcomed the Chief Minister and said that people come from distant areas to seek blessings from the local deity. He said that the Chief Minister is well aware of the geographical conditions of Shimla district and is making earnest efforts for the development.
Anirudh Singh thanked the Chief Minister for allocating Rs.10 crore for the maintenance of roads in Kasumpati assembly segment. He said that all roads in his constituency would be paved in the coming times.
He said that the present government is paying special attention to the construction of roads, health and education infrastructure.Famous folk singer Kuldeep Sharma presented a spellbinding cultural program on the occasion.
Vice Chairman of Himachal Pradesh Forest Development Corporation Limited Kehar Singh Khachi, President of Panchayat Samiti Shimla Chandrakata, OSDs to Chief Minister Gopal Sharma and Ritesh Kapret, Additional Deputy Commissioner Shivam Pratap Singh and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion amongst others.