Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today laid the foundation stone of the office building of the Block Development Officer to be constructed with an outlay of Rs 5.36 crore at Rait in Shahpur assembly constituency of district Kangra. Addressing a well attended public meeting on this occasion, the Chief Minister said that the state government has fulfilled three of its guarantees during its one year regime, whereas the previous BJP government just cheated the people of the state in their five years of rule.
When the government implemented the old pension scheme for the government employees, the Union Government refused to extend the righteous assistance and also reduced the loan limit provided to the state thereby burdening the state with a revenue loss of Rs 1780 crore. He said that the Central Government was also reluctant to return the NPS money of the employees.
The government is going to start English medium from first class in all the government schools from the next academic session, thus fulfilling the second guarantee, stated Sh. Sukhu adding that the school management has been given the right to choose one smart uniform for the children. He said that in the previous BJP government, there was a significant decline in the education sector in the state, hundreds of schools were opened eyeing upon elections, without any teaching faculty and infrastructural facilities.
Due to their mismanagement, Himachal Pradesh dropped down to 18th ranking in terms of qualitative education. We are committed to raise the standard of education and preparing the children keeping in the mind the future challenges. Rajiv Gandhi Modern Day Boarding schools in each assembly constituency, starting of English medium in all government schools and laying emphasizes on IT based education were the few steps being taken in the direction so that the children studying in Government schools can also have access to quality education.
All the students have the right to equal opportunity, remarked the Chief Minister. He said that fulfilling the third guarantee, the state government has started Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Scheme of Rs 680 crore, so that the youth can get self-employment opportunities.
He said that in the first phase of the scheme, the state government was going to issue 500 permits for e-taxi, for which 900 youth have applied so far. He said that the state government has extended the last date for receiving applications by one week from 20th December. He said that the state government is providing 50 percent subsidy to the youth for the purchase of e-taxi.
Apart from this, the state government will also provide financial assistance for setting up solar energy projects and will purchase electricity from them for the next 25 years, so that they can get fixed income. He said that for the economic prosperity of farmers, a scheme will be introduced in the upcoming budget to provide fixed income based on natural farming.
Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government has given approval to fill 1400 posts in the health department and within a year more than 20 thousand employment opportunities will be available in the government sector alone. He said that the government is committed to provide the benefits of welfare schemes to the last person in the queue.
He said that more than 45 thousand pending mutation and partition cases were settled in the specially held Revenue Lok Adalats. He said that the state government was making necessary changes in the redundant laws which will be a landmark in the future benefitting the people as a whole.
The Chief Minister also detailed about the Sukh Aashray Yojna and the Relief and Rehabilitation measures undertaken by the Government during the natural calamity and counted the manifold changes and increase made in the relief manual to benefit the affected families, besides releasing a relief package of Rs. 4500 crore, to be borne by the State, to assist the disaster affected.
The Chief Minister said that an industrial plant was going to be set up in Kangra district at a cost of Rs 268 crore, which will be ready in a year. The Chief Minister also announced to open Ravidas Bhawan and OBC Bhawan in Shahpur assembly constituency and assured for the construction of Gaddi and Rajput Bhawans.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh said that it was only due to the efforts of MLA Kewal Pathania that the new building of BDO office in Shahpur assembly constituency was approved. The building will be completed within a record time, the Minister stated. The present government is constructing all the government offices on the lines of the corporate sector, so that the employees can get a better working environment.
He said that the government has increased the amount for the construction of Panchayat houses to Rs 1.14 crore. The RD department has also approved Rs 1085 crore, through MNREGA, to provide relief to the people during the disaster. MLA Kewal Singh Pathania expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister for laying the foundation stone of BDO building. He also lauded the strenuous efforts made by the Chief Minister during the disaster, who reached out to each and every affected person.
Not only this, he donated his lifetime earnings of Rs 51 lakh towards the disaster relief fund, so that the affected people could be provided succour, said Sh. Pathania. He said that BJP has failed to discharge its responsibilities both inside and outside the Assembly and take up the issues of disaster affected people with the centre.
Earlier, on reaching Shahpur assembly constituency, the Chief Minister was accorded warm welcome by the local people. Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister (IT) Gokul Butail, Chairman of Kangra Cooperative Bank Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Chairman of Himachal Pradesh Cooperative Bank Devendra Shyam, OSD Ritesh Kaprate, Secretary Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Priyatu Mandal, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Nipun Jindal, SP Shalini Agnihotri and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.