Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], January 25 (ANI): Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu conveyed his Statehood Day wishes to the people of Himachal Pradesh during the 55th celebration held at Baijnath in Kangra district today.
He remembered the immense contributions of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Dr Y S Parmar in achieving statehood status. The Chief Minister unfurled the National Flag and took a salute from the contingents of police, home guards, Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) Bassi, IRB Sakoh, SSB Sapri, District Police Kangra, Traffic Police, NCC cadets, Scouts and Guides and Police band in a march past led by Parade Commander IPS (Probationer) Ravinandan, according to a press release.
The Chief Minister announced the upgradation of Chadiyar Sub-Tehsil to a Tehsil, the opening of a new Public Works Department sub-division in Chadiyar and the establishment of a digital library. He also announced plans for the development of Tattvani’s hot water springs and Kheer Ganga Ghat as tourist destinations with detailed planning. Additionally, a bridge over the Binwa River at Sansali-Bhatwali will be constructed on Paprola-Baijnath bypass road.
The Chief Minister assured sufficient funds for the beautification of Indira Gandhi Stadium Baijnath and announced a Primary Health Center in Sansal. He further announced the opening of a Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding School in Mahalpat village of Baijnath Gram Panchayat and M.A. courses in Political Science and Sociology at Baijnath Government College.
Police Chowki Multhan’s eight panchayats, including Baragran, Kothikohar, Dharan, Multhan, Luwai, Poling, Sward, and Bara Bhangal, will now be brought under the jurisdiction of the Police Station Bari, benefiting 7,500 people across 35 villages, the release said.
He announced the development of grazing lands for shepherds and the protection of their rights under the Forest Rights Act. The government will resolve issues arising from developmental changes in traditional routes, promote eco-friendly sheep and goat rearing, and strengthen the Wool Federation and Wool Board, he added.
CM Sukhu stated, “Although the current government has been in power for only two years, the situation is such that loans are being taken to repay the principal and interest of previous debts. In the last two financial years, the government has taken a loan of Rs 30,080 crore, out of which Rs 18,854 crore, approximately 63 per cent of the total, has been used to repay the principal and interest on loans taken by the previous government.”
He said that during the BJP’s tenure in 2021-22, the state received a revenue deficit grant of Rs 10,249 crore, which was reduced to Rs 6,258 crore in 2023-24 and is expected to drop further to Rs 3,257 crore in the next financial year. Despite financial constraints, he emphasised the government’s focus on resource generation rather than dependency on loans. He stated that the current government has generated an additional Rs 2,200 crore through reforms in excise, tourism, power, and mining policies, marking a first in the state’s history.
The Chief Minister said that the coming fiscal year is challenging but with the cooperation of the people of the state and blessings of deities will overcome these challenges. He said that the previous government did not think about increasing Himachal Pradesh’s revenue. “Our government has initiated significant efforts to transform the state through ‘Vyavstha Parivartan’. By strengthening sectors such as dairy, natural farming, agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, and the rural economy, we are creating opportunities for employment and self-employment at the village level.”
The Chief Minister highlighted employment generation as a priority, with over 42,000 jobs provided in two years compared to 20,000 in five years under the previous BJP government. “Over 12,500 posts have been filled in the government sector, including 3,202 posts in the elementary education department, and approximately 8,000 more will be filled in 2025. This includes 2,095 TGT, Shastri, and JBT positions, as well as 245 special educators and 6,297 NTT teachers. Whereas, the higher education department has filled 1,097 posts, and 1,337 employees have been regularized. Recruitment is underway for 769 computer teachers and others through limited direct recruitment,” he added.
He said that in the police department, recruitment for 1,088 constables has begun, and results for 2,061 forest guards have been announced. Additionally, 3,000 posts in the Jal Shakti Department have been filled. The Chief Minister said that previous recruitment, which was struck due to scams during the previous BJP regime has been cleared, filling 2,273 posts. Furthermore, the government plans to create 25,000 new posts across various categories, providing opportunities for unemployed youth with diverse qualifications to serve the state.
The Chief Minister claimed that the state government has fulfilled six out of the ten promises made during the assembly elections. The Old Pension Scheme (OPS) has been restored for 1.36 lakh government employees, while the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh-Samman Nidhi Yojana has been launched, providing eligible women an honorarium of Rs 1500 per month in a phased manner. The guarantee of starting English-medium education from the first grade in all government schools has been fulfilled. Modern and well-equipped Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools are being established in all 68 assembly constituencies in a phased manner. Under the Dr Y S Parmar Vidyarthi Rin Yojana, students are being offered education loans at a 1 percent interest rate for studies in India and abroad, he claimed.
CM Sukhu said that the government has also launched the Rs 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-Up scheme for youth. A minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 40 per kg for wheat and Rs 30 per kg for maize grown through natural farming was being provided, while the MSP for cow milk has been increased from Rs 32 to Rs 45 per litre, and for buffalo milk, it has been raised from Rs 47 to Rs 55 per litre. To benefit small farmers and livestock rearers, the government has launched a scheme to purchase cow dung at Rs 300 per quintal, fulfilling another key promise of the Congress ‘Pratigya Patra’.
The Chief Minister stated that 2000 individuals have voluntarily given up electricity subsidies following the government’s appeal. Efforts are being made to strengthen the rural economy, with a milk processing plant of 50,000 litres per day capacity operational in Dattanagar, Shimla district, and another plant with a 1.5 lakh litre capacity being set up in Dhagwar, Kangra district.
He said that the government is also developing Himachal Pradesh as a tourist destination in a big way. Water sports have been initiated in Gobind Sagar Lake, and Kangra has been declared the tourism capital of the state. Rs 150 crore convention centre, the largest in the country, will be built in Tapovan, Dharamshala. Rs 150 crore wellness center will be established in Nagrota Bagwan. An all-weather roller ice skating rink is being constructed in Sakoh, Dharamshala, at a cost of Rs 34 crore. Beautification projects worth Rs 78 crore are planned for Palampur and Nagrota Bagwan. Helipads will be constructed in Rakkar and Palampur.
He said that to promote tourism, an international-level zoological park is being built in Bankhandi, Dehra, at a cost of Rs 600 crore. “The expansion of Kangra Airport is underway, with Rs 3500 crore allocated, and Rs 355 crore already disbursed to landowners for acquisition. Under the Swadesh Darshan Yojana, a helipad and tent city have been proposed in Nagrota Suriyan. A world-class wellness center is also proposed in Dehra, he added.
The Chief Minister said that in Shimla, Rs 1600-crore ropeway, the second-largest in the world, will be constructed and the state capital will also have a world-class ice and roller skating rink, along with a wellness center. All these tourism-related projects are expected to be completed within two years. He emphasized the accelerated pace of road and bridge construction. For the first time since independence, efforts are being made to connect remote areas like Bara Bhangal and Dodra-Kwar in Shimla with proper road infrastructure, bringing them into the mainstream of development.
He said that the government has launched the Mukhyamantri Sukh-Aashray Yojana to support orphaned children, destitute women, and the elderly. Under this initiative, 6000 children have been adopted as “Children of the State.” Recently, 23 such children were sent on tours to Chandigarh, Delhi, and Goa, where they were provided air travel and stayed in three-star hotels. Similarly, 17 children from the Bilaspur district were sent on tours to the Attari-Wagah Border, Amritsar, and Kapurthala.
Sukhu said that employees and pensioners have been paid three installments of dearness allowance (DA) amounting to an 11 per cent increase. Additionally, steps are being taken to promote sports in the state.
A vibrant cultural programme was also presented on the occasion. (ANI)
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