Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laid foundation stones and inaugurated development projects worth nearly ₹48 crore in the Kasumpti Assembly Constituency of Shimla district today. Key projects include the new Block Development Office at Mashobra, an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) building valued at ₹12 crore, public works department (HPPWD) offices at Bhattakufar and Baldeyan, and a link road project worth nearly ₹22 crore to boost local connectivity.
To improve sanitation across rural communities, the Chief Minister flagged off 137 vehicles under the state’s rural solid waste management initiative. Over 700 additional vehicles are slated for deployment in the second phase, enabling Gram Panchayats to run door-to-door scientific waste collection across Himachal Pradesh.
Addressing the gathering, CM Sukhu issued a sharp warning against corruption, declaring that illegal properties acquired through corrupt means would be confiscated by the state and redistributed to the poor. Accusing the previous BJP administration of handing over roughly 5,000 bighas of land in Baddi to industrialists at throwaway rates, Sukhu reiterated his administration’s commitment to protecting state resources—pointing to recent legal wins in the Wildflower Hall dispute and securing an 18 percent free power share from JSW.
The state government also announced plans to launch the ‘Apna Parivar-Sukhi Parivar Yojana’ to uplift 1.75 lakh identified low-income families, alongside a new health insurance initiative designed to cover nearly 10 lakh eligible households. In addition, the CM assured striking Zila Parishad employees that their demands would be reviewed sympathetically.
Highlighting gains in rural public education, Sukhu noted that transferring 150 government schools to the CBSE curriculum led to a 24,000-student increase in enrollment, supported by an ₹87 crore infrastructure allocation. He added that healthcare centers are receiving major tech upgrades, including 3 Tesla MRI units and robotic surgery systems in state medical colleges.
Reinforcing the regional development agenda, Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh added that projects worth over ₹500 crore are underway or completed in Kasumpti alone. However, Singh criticized the central government for delaying financial relief, claiming that ₹1,500 crore in promised disaster assistance and several central grants remain withheld from the state.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
