The State Government has proposed Rs. 9989.49 for the annual estimated budget plans for the year 2024-25. This was stated by Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here today while presiding over the first session of MLA Priority meeting with the MLAs from Una, Hamirpur and Sirmaur districts.
The Chief Minister said that the state government was working with a motto to make Himachal self-reliant in next four years and most prosperous state in the country in ten years. He exhorted the MLAs to come up with the priorities that were in line with the state government's commitment to provide clean, transparent and accountable administration to the people of the state.
Sh. Sukhu said that discussion during these meetings would pave the way to further accelerate the development process. He stated that the government was committed for equitable development of all the areas and every section of the society.
In order to achieve this, the government has adopted the manifesto of the Congress party as a Policy Document, the Chief Minister stated, adding that all the ministers, MLAs and departments were working tirelessly for the effective implementation of the 'Policy Document'. He said that numerous steps have been taken to make Himachal a Green Energy State in the next two years and the government has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding of Rs. 2,000 crore with the World Bank.
As per the MoU, works would be carried out under the Hydroelectric and Renewable Energy Development Programme for the next five years. Sh. Sukhu said that MLA priorities in general were financed through the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund under NABARD. For the year 2023-24, an amount of Rs. 918.81 crore was sanctioned by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) besides 62 works of Public Works Department and 93 works of Jal Shakti Department have been sanctioned.
He also directed the officials of the Public Works and Jal Shakti Departments to fully utilize NABARD's budget outlay for the year 2024-25 and submit reimbursement claims in the NABARD office before March 15, 2024. The Chief Minister directed the administrative secretaries, heads of the departments not to show any laxity in resolving the problems, complaints raised by the MLAs and to give due priority to their valuable suggestions.
He further directed the officials to ensure timely clearance of formalities regarding the FCA, the FRA cases and the Gift Deed etc in order to avoid or reduce any delay in preparation of the detailed project reports of the schemes given by the MLAs. He also directed the concerned departments and the Deputy Commissioner to review the works on MLA priorities every month, the report of which would be sent to the government.
The state government was working sincerely for the welfare of all sections of the society including women, youth, farmers and employees, said Sh. Sukhu and added that the present government was ensuring that its policies and programs benefit the last person in the queue. As a result, we have fulfilled three guarantees in our one year tenure.
We have implemented the OPS in the very first cabinet meeting. To provide employment and self employment opportunities to the youth the state government has started an e-taxi scheme under the first phase of Rs. 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up Scheme and to introduce English medium from class first in all the government schools, remarked the Chief Minister.
Under the Start-up scheme, the state government is providing 50 percent subsidy to the youth on the purchase of e-taxi. A portal was also developed for operating e-taxis on contract basis in all the government offices and has started registration as well. Apart from ensuring that the youth gets a fixed income, this scheme would also reduce carbon emissions, he reiterated.
He said that the purchase price of milk has been increased by Rs. 6 in order to increase the income of farmers. The Chief Minister also stated the Government has increased the daily wage of MNREGA workers from Rs. 212 to Rs. 240, benefitting nine lakh eligible people in the state, out of which 65 percent were women. In the tribal areas, the daily wage has been enhanced from Rs. 266 to Rs. 294.
Sh. Sukhu informed that the state government has established Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Asharya Kosh for the orphans and other vulnerable sections of the society and has adopted 4,000 orphans as 'Children of the State' under the Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Asharya Yojna, by providing assistance for their proper care and higher education till they attain the age of 27 years by enacting a law.
Sh. Sukhu said that during the last monsoon, the state had to deal with the worst disaster in its recent history and despite not receiving any special relief package from the Central Government. Despite its limited resources, the State Government has provided a special relief package of Rs. 4,500 crore. He said that in order to provide adequate assistance to the affected people, electricity and water connections, and gas cylinders are being provided free of cost along with cement at government rates for construction of houses.
The affected people are also being provided Rs. 5,000 as house rent in rural areas and Rs. 10,000 in urban areas. The compensation for a completely damaged house has been increased to Rs. 7 lakh from Rs. 1.30 lakh. In case of partial damage to the house, the compensation amount has been increased to Rs. 1 lakh.
MLA priorities from District Una
MLA of Una Assembly Constituency Satpal Singh Satti urged for funds to complete the old works in his constituency. He said that the government had altered the provisions of MLA fund during the disaster to provide financial aid to the affected people for retaining walls etc and asked the government to extend the provision beyond June 2024.
MLA Gagret Chaitanya Sharma urged to establish Daulatpur Chowk College and School in separate premises and demanded to curb the drug mafia activity in his area.
MLA Kutlehar Devendra Bhutto raised the issue of increasing the diet money and ensuring transparency in sports associations. He also requested to make proper arrangements for stray animals.
MLA priorities from District Hamirpur
MLA Bhoranj Suresh Kumar urged for channelization of Seer Khad and to build a multipurpose hall in Bhoranj School. He also raised the issue of poor quality of the under construction National Highway in his area.
MLA Hamirpur Assembly Constituency Ashish Sharma expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for providing adequate budget for the new bus stand in Hamirpur. He requested to open a polyclinic in Hamirpur and a new mini secretariat at the district headquarters.
MLA Basar Inder Dutt Lakhanpal urged to improve the irrigation system to benefit the farmers, strengthening of electricity infrastructure, proper drainage along the roads and opening of a police station in Bijhari.
MLA priorities from District Sirmaur
MLA Pachhad, Reena Kashyap expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for opening Jal Shakti division in the area. She sought to promote tourism activities by developing Shirgul and Bhureshwar temples and other tourist places in the area. She also demanded to prepare the DPR of Sarahan-Chandigarh road.
MLA Nahan Ajay Solanki thanked the Chief Minister for announcing Rs. 30 crore for the area. He also raised demands to fill the posts of specialist doctors and nurses in the Dr. YS Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan and allotment of land to the landless for construction of houses.
MLA Paonta Sukhram Chaudhary demanded to mark the border of Yamuna River with Himachal, so as to curb the illegal mining. He also requested to immediately provide pending electricity connections to the farmers of the area for tube wells and to create adequate parking facilities in Paonta Sahib.
Deputy Chief Minister, Mukesh Agnihotri, Chief Secretary, Prabodh Saxena, Principal Secretary Finance, Devesh Kumar, Advisor Planning, Dr Basu Sood along with Administrative Secretaries, Heads of the Department, Deputy Commissioners and other officials were present in the meeting.