Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while addressing a public gathering at Matour in the Kangra Assembly constituency announced for setting a division of the Jal Shakti Department in Kangra and assured the introduction of new courses in Matour College besides strengthening water and electricity schemes in the area. The construction work for the Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School in Kangra would begin soon and he also announced to construct a new bridge over Jalodi Khad.
He revealed about his deep rooted connections with Kangra and stated that despite the people supporting the Congress, few have frequently shifted their political allegiance. He expressed confidence that the Kangra district would witness a significant development over the next five years and the present state government would ensure progress and prosperity of grassroots communities. The people of the area would get improved water supply, healthcare and other essential facilities nearer to their homes.
The Chief Minister said that the government was committed to revitalize the rural economy, as over 80 percent of the population of the state resides in rural areas and highlighted several measures to strengthen the rural sector. He said that the government has increased the purchase price of milk by Rs.15 and for the first time launched a scheme to purchase cow-dung in state. Apart from this the state has procured 4,000 metric tonnes of maize produced through natural farming at Rs. 30 per kilogram.
From the next season, wheat will also be procured at Rs. 40 per kilogram. He said that the daily wage for MNREGA workers had been increased by Rs. 60, raising it from Rs. 240 to Rs. 300. These efforts aim to empower rural community. He said that a milk processing plant with a capacity of 1.5 lakh liters was being established at Dhagwar in Kangra which would benefit approximately three lakh farmers. He reiterated the importance of good governance, stating, “Good governance requires Good Government.” He criticized the previous BJP government education policy, which led to the decline of enrollment in schools.
He assured that the present government was working to improve the education system to meet future challenges. He said that the present state government has also made reforms in the Annual Confidential Report (ACR) norms to evaluate performance of all officers and officials of the State Government. Necessary reforms were being made in the health sector. The Government is providing state-of-the-art medical equipments in medical colleges of the state, similar to those at AIIMS Delhi. A sum of Rs. 100 crore has been sanctioned for advanced machinery in Tanda, IGMC and Ner Chowk Medical Colleges.
Additionally, UV filter technology is being adopted to improve water quality in the state, he remarked. The Chief Minister said that reforms introduced by the state government were aimed at benefiting the common masses and dealing with challenges poised to state’s resources. He urged the public to support the decisions of the government, including the rationalization of subsidies, encouraging the affluent to forgo subsidies. He said that the policies and actions of the previous BJP government had widened the gap between the rich and the poor. He said that our government has settled over 2.42 lakh pending revenue cases through special ‘Intkal Adalats’, organized for the first time in the history of the state.
Apart from this the government has sanctioned 31,000 posts in various departments, as compared to the BJP’s tenure. On the occasion Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Chairman R.S. Bali commended Chief Minister for ushering a new era development. He praised the efforts of the Chief Minister to support widows, orphans, and marginalized groups and said that his leadership during the recent state disaster was recognized globally.
Former MLA Surender Kaku expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for dedicating projects worth over Rs. 88 crore for the people of the area. He said that the Chief Minister was ensuring the balanced and equitable development of all the regions of the state and these initiatives would bring significant benefits to the people. APMC Kangra Chairman Narinder Mongra also spoke on the occasion. Ayush Minister Yadvinder Goma, Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, MLA Kishori Lal and Suresh Kumar and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
CM Sukhu Announces Key Projects in Kangra
