Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today offered prayers at Jakhu Temple in Shimla, seeking peace and prosperity for the people of the State and took part in the installation ceremony of a 108-feet high Hanuman Dhwaja (flag) in the temple premises. While interacting with media persons, the Chief Minister said that the historic Jakhu Temple holds deep spiritual significance and was a symbol of collective faith of the people.
The temple was home to the tallest statue of Lord Hanuman and the state government was committed to further enhancing its spiritual and tourist appeal. He stated that a statue of Lord Ram was also being installed at the temple complex, however, certain procedural challenges related to the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) were being addressed to facilitate this installation.
“The state government aims to improve basic amenities for devotees visiting Jakhu temple, including better parking, seating arrangements and other facilities, while ensuring ecological balance,” he added. In response to a question, the Chief Minister said that the state government was working round-the-clock to provide relief and rehabilitation to people affected by natural disasters.
Even the Leader of the Opposition was in constant touch with him, as his constituency had suffered extensive damages. Besides, the Seraj assembly constituency, Dharampur, Karsog, and Nachan areas had also been severely affected due to the torrential rains. The Union Ministers have been apprised in detail about the situation in these regions during his recent New Delhi visit, he added.
“I hope that when the Union Home Minister visits Himachal Pradesh, the people of the state will receive some relief,” the Chief Minister added. He emphasized that the rehabilitation of affected people was a prime responsibility of the state government and non-forest land would be allocated to affected individuals, while the allocation of forest land would require approval from the Central government.
“The State’s priority is to reopen roads in the disaster-hit regions to ensure farmers and horticulturists can transport apples, vegetables and other produces to the markets without hindrance. The government will also provide compensation to affected families for damage to their homes, cattle sheds, livestock, and other belongings,” Sh. Sukhu said.
The Chief Minister said that many relief camps had been set up in rest houses to accommodate the affected families while those wishing to move into rented accommodation would be given Rs. 5,000 per month as rental assistance by the state government. Later, the Chief Minister inaugurated the newly constructed rest house of the Public Works department at Chhota Shimla having 9 suites and built at a cost of Rs. 4.15 crore.
He said that the state government has completed the construction work of this Rest House on priority. The government rest houses were being made available to the general people at uniform rates through online booking and remaining rest houses would be integrated with the online booking system.
He said that the present state government had standardized rented rates for common people and VIPs for staying in Himachal Bhawan and Himachal Sadan. He also welcomed the tourists in Himachal Pradesh and said that in some sections of social media, a negative picture was being portrayed affecting the tourism industry in the State.
He said that although some regions had been impacted by the torrential rains, a large portion of the State still remain safe and open to explore, as 70 lakh people are residing in the State. Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, MLA Kamlesh Thakur, Principal Advisor (Media) to Chief Minister Naresh Chauhan, Chairman, H.P. State Cooperative Bank Devender Shyam, Vice Chairman, HP State Industrial Development Corporation Vishal Chambiyal, Mayor Surender Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap and other dignitaries were also present on this occasion.