Himachal govt to launch tourism development schemes worth Rs 100 crore in Pong area: CM Sukhu

Shimla: Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday presided over the 'Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar' programme at village Nakki of Pragpur area in Kangra district. The State Government has launched this programme to resolve the grievances of the people at their doorstep and to make them aware of policies and programmes of the state government to benefit the masses. The Chief Minister also inaugurated four projects worth Rs. 11.32 crore viz. Mandwara to Karol via Chanauriya Basti, Baba Balotu Mandir and Sukar and Dadri link road including causeway over Nalsuha Khad and two bridges on Bani to Pragpur via Dangra Sidh road on Lagbaliana and Sehri Khad.
The Chief Minister announced to upgrading of the tehsil Pragpur to tehsil and merging Kadoha, Chalali, and Samnoli Patwar circles from Dehra tehsil in Pragpur. He announced rupees one crore for the re-opening of the Community Health Center, Rakkad, rupees one crore for Dadasiba College, rupees three crores for Kotla College and rupees six crore for Rakkad College, rupees one crore for Joint Office Building, Dadasiba, Rs. 25 lakhs for Government Senior Secondary School, Saleti, Rs. 20 lakh for AHC Saleti, rupees two crore for Academic Block of Pharmacy College Kuhna and rupees one crore for ITI Terrace. He also announced upgrading Police Post Dadasiba to the Police station, starting BBA and BCA classes in Rakkar College, Kotla Behad College and Dadasiba College, starting science and commerce classes in Government Senior Secondary School Nalsuna and Kaloha from the next academic session and opening Ayurvedic dispensary at Chamukha. The Chief Minister also announced providing adequate funds for the new building of PMCH Pragpur, restarting the Pathankot-Chintpurni bus service, starting the Terrace-Shimla via Kotla night bus service and extending the Shimla-Pragpur bus service route upto Seulkhad and to provide adequate funds for construction of roads in Kotla Behad as well. During the program, the Chief Minister also presented cheques of financial assistance of Rs 31,000 each to 10 beneficiaries under the Shagun Scheme.
CM Sukhu said that the state government is organizing Revenue Lok Adalats up to the tehsil and sub-tehsil level and till now 65 thousand mutation cases have been settled. So far, 15,362 mutation and 742 partition cases have been settled in the Revenue Lok Adalats in Kangra district as well. The state government stands firmly with the people on the issue of notifying the area adjacent to Pong Dam as an eco-sensitive zone, remarked the Chief Minister. He said that efforts were being made to promote tourism activities in the Pong Dam area and schemes worth Rs 100 crore were being commenced in the times to come, he added. The Chief Minister said that due to the financial mismanagement of the previous government, today every Himachali has a debt of more than one lakh rupees. The present state government inherited a burden of thousands of crore from the previous BJP government and now we are working hard to bring the economy back on track. He said that efforts were being made to strengthen the rural economy. Milk purchase rates have been increased by six rupees and a Rs 250 crore milk processing plant is being constructed at Dhagwar in Kangra district. Besides announcing 20 thousand jobs in the government sector, steps were also being taken towards providing self-employment opportunities to the youth and Rs 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up Scheme has been launched. So far, 1200 youth applied for e-taxi permits under this scheme and the government is providing a 50 per cent subsidy. Financial assistance for setting up solar energy projects would also be provided under the second phase of the scheme and electricity produced would be purchased from them for 25 years, to provide them a fixed income. Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu said that the standard of education has declined due to the negligence of the previous BJP government. Various reports on the reading ability of the students were alarming. He said that from the next academic session, English medium from class first in government school will be started and resources will be used better by creating clusters. The Chief Minister said that despite having a debt of Rs 75 thousand crore and liabilities of government employees worth Rs 10 thousand crore, the state government released a special relief package of Rs 4500 crore for the disaster affected. He said that the state government has fulfilled its election guarantee by reinstating the Old Pension Scheme. The government provided Children of the State status to 4000 orphans, under which the state government will bear the expenses of their care, education and hostel. He said that the state government will also bear the expenses of education of widows' children and the scheme for this will be finalized in the upcoming budget.