Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu conveyed his Statehood Day wishes to the people of Himachal Pradesh during the 54th celebration in Dharampur of Mandi district. He remembered the immense contributions of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Dr. Y.S. Parmar in achieving statehood status.
The Chief Minister unfurled the National Flag and received salute from the police, home guards, Traffic Police, NCC and NSS cadets, Scouts and Guides, Ex-serviceman and Police band in a commendable march past led by Parade Commander IPS (Probationer) Gauravjeet Singh.The Chief Minister said that it was the first time that the Statehood Day was being celebrated in Dharampur Sub-division of Mandi district and announced Rs. 20 thousand each to 200 Mahila Mandals of Dharampur area.
He also announced Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) office at Dahrampur, Nagar Panchayats at Dharmapur and Sandhole, Rs. 10 crore each for Sandhole via Marhi Dharampur road and Sandhole via Syoh Dharampur road, rupees three crore for beautification of Baba Kamlahiya Temple, Rs. 1.50 Crore for CHC building Tihra, Rs. 1.50 Crore and rupees one crore for Combined office building at Sandhole and Dharampur respectively, Rs. 1.50 crore multipurpose Hall at Government Degree College Dharampur and Rs. 50 lakh each for Civil Hospital Dharampur and Sandhole.
He also announced a basketball sports hostel (girls) at Government Degree College (GDC) Sarkaghat, Rs. 24.80 crore for the channelization of various Khads in the area, PG classes in Zoology at GDC Sarkaghat and PG classes in English, Economics and Hindi in GDC Dharampur.
While addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that we are indebted towards the stalwarts who have led Himachal Pradesh to zenith amongst all the hilly states. A special tribute to the resilient and hard working people of the state, whose dedication towards progress has been the driving force. Their unwavering commitment deserves heartfelt recognition on this momentous day, showcasing that Himachal's journey is not just a narrative of leaders but a saga written by its people, he said.
In the ongoing journey of development, the state government was working tirelessly to serve the people, ensuring relief and development to reach every section of the society, said Sh. Sukhu. He said that the government aims to establish 6 green corridors by March end this year, ensuring convenient e-charging stations for tourists and locals.
In February, 13 charging stations will be operational, with plans to set up a total of 108 stations at identified petrol pumps within the next two months. The Kiratpur to Keylong Green Corridor is already operational, featuring 5 e-charging stations and 3 stations have been set up from Shimla to Bilaspur, he said.
Sh. Sukhu said: "E-vehicles are being promoted in a big way in Himachal and the state government has imposed a ban on the purchase of petrol and diesel vehicles in all government departments from January 1, 2024."The state government has introduced the 'Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar' programme to connect with the public, focusing on resolving of Public grievances. Over 65 thousand Mutation and 4071 Partition cases have been settled through ‘Revenue Lok Adalats’ organised at sub-tehsil and tehsil levels since October 30, 2023, providing relief to many, he remarked.
Himachal has achieved a milestone by becoming the first state in India to enact a law for orphan children, with 4,000 of them officially adopted as 'Children of the State', said Sh. Sukhu. Additionally, the state has launched the Rs 680 crore 'Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up Scheme'.
The initial phase offers a 50 percent subsidy on e-taxi purchase, while the second phase includes provisions for solar energy projects with the facility of 70 percent bank loans, 30 percent government equity by depositing 10 percent security by the youth, he said.
The government has also decided to purchase the electricity generated from these projects for the next 25 years, which would ensure the youth a reliable source of income. Furthermore, the government is actively recruiting for over 21,000 positions across various government departments, including 5,291 posts of teachers, 1,226 posts of constables, 2,061 Van Mitras and 10,000 posts of various categories in Jal Shakti Department, he added.
Sh. Sukhu said that for the first time in the state, apples were purchased from growers on a per kilo rate basis and from this year, universal cartons would be introduced to secure better prices for them. Along with this, there has been a historic increase in the support price of apple, mango and lemon fruits.
He also emphasized the state government's commitment to achieving uniform and rapid development, with a special focus on Mandi district. The Chief Minister said that the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme has benefitted 1.36 lakh government employees and as a result 1,150 pensioners in Mandi, who were earlier covered under NPS, are now availing benefits of OPS.
He said that due to the challenges posed by last year's devastation caused during the monsoon, the government has announced a special relief package of Rs 4,500 crore and has increased compensation manifold. Disaster affected families of Dharampur sub-division were recently given a financial assistance of Rs. 6.14 crore, he said.
The state government is implementing English medium education from class first in the new academic session in all government schools to enhance the quality of education, fulfilling an election promise, said the Chief Minister. Additionally, the 'Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar Vidyarthi Rin Yojana' offer students with loans up to Rs 20 lakh at a one percent interest rate for vocational and technical courses.
Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding schools were being established, and health institutes in each assembly constituency were being upgraded as ‘Aadarsh Swasthya Sansthan’ with 6 specialist doctors already deployed in health institutions across 50 constituencies, he reiterated.
Emphasizing the state government's commitment to women empowerment, the Chief Minister said that the financial assistance under Widow Remarriage Scheme has been enhanced from Rs. 65,000 to Rs. 2 lakh. Additionally, a scheme to provide financial assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh to eligible widows and single women for building their home was also being introduced.
He said that amendments have been made in the Land Ceiling Act to grant equal inheritance rights to daughters. The marriageable age for girls has been raised from 18 to 21 years, and 41,799 new cases of social security pension have been approved.
The Chief Minister said that the state government was committed to boost revenue, adopting measures such as reducing the lease period of government land from 99 to 40 years. The implementation of a new excise policy has resulted in additional revenue of Rs. 846 crore compared to the previous year. To expedite Public Works Department projects, the tender period has been shortened from 51 days to 20 days.
He said that the state government has initiated the Rs. 500 crore Him Ganga scheme to support farmers. It would also facilitate the transportation of milk to chilling points. In a move to boost farmers' income, milk purchase price has been increased by six rupees.
Additionally, a substantial investment of Rs 1,292 crore would be made under HP SHIVA project for the first phase of the Shiva project, planting fruit saplings across 6 thousand hectares in approximately 400 clusters. This initiative is set to benefit 15 thousand farmers, featuring provisions for solar fencing and irrigation facilities.
"Nature has blessed this hilly state with natural beauty and to attract and welcome more tourists in the lap of nature, special emphasis is being laid on providing them better infrastructure and world-class facilities in unexplored tourist places as well," said Sh. Sukhu.
Earnest efforts are being made to enhance infrastructure and provide world-class facilities in pristine tourist destinations, welcoming visitors to experience the joy of being in the lap of nature, he added. The state government has allocated Rs. 13 crore for the construction of heliports at Rakkad and Palampur in Kangra district, Reckong Peo in Kinnaur district and in Chamba.
The Chief Minister also visited the exhibitions showcasing various developmental activities being run by different departments on the occasion.The Chief Minister honoured new voters Aashi Thakur, Sneha and Palak Thakur with Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) and administered oath on the National Voter's Day.
Sh. Sukhu also released a special issue of 'Vipasha Patrika'.A vibrant cultural event showcased a standout bagpiper band and various highlights, including folk performances by diverse groups. The Chief Minister commended the participants and distributed prizes. He also honoured Smt. Anita Rana, wife of late Prabhas Rana, recognizing his heroic sacrifice for saving lives during last year’s disaster.Dharmapur Congress contributed Rs. 4.01 lakh, and DAV School Greyoh District Mandi donated Rs. 2.15 lakh to the Chief Minister towards the Aapda Rahat Kosh-2023.
Wife of the Chief Minister, Kamlesh Thakur, Ayush, Sports and Youth Services Minister Yadvinder Goma, MLAs Chandershekhar and Suresh Kumar, Political Advisor to the Chief Minister, Sunil Sharma, Former Minister, Rangila Ram Rao, District Mandi Congress president and former minister Prakash Choudhary, Kangra Cooperative Primary Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Chairman, Ram Chander Pathania, Congress Sewa Dal Chief, Anurag Sharma, APMC Mandi Chairman, Sanjeev Guleria, Congress Leaders Pawan Thakur, Vijay Pal Singh, Jeevan Thakur, Champa Thakur, Chet Ram Thakur, Chief secretary, Prabodh Saxena, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Bharat Khera, DGP Sanjay Kundu, Deputy Commissioner Mandi, Arindam Choudhary, SP Soumya Sambshivan and other dignitaries were also present amongst others.