Shimla, December 03 : 431 Gram Panchayats had been connected with motorable roads in district Mandi out of which 37 had been connected during last four years out of these 15 panchayats are of Seraj area. This was stated by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, while addressing a mammoth public meeting at Chhatri in the interior of district Mandi today, after dedicating 21 kms. long Chhatri Gada Gushaini Road, completed at a cost of Rs. 2.78 crore and motorable bridge at Rana Bagh, completed at a cost of Rs. 1.30 crore.
Chief Minister said that Rs. 232 crore had been spent in district Mandi under NABARD and World Bank funding to construct roads and Chachiot assembly segment of the district has also got priority in it. He said that out of 690 kms. new roads constructed in the district 176 kms. of new roads were in Chachiot. He said that 410 kms. of road had been mettled and 780 kms. of roads had been renewed. He said that road connectivity had been on the priority agenda of the State Government. He said that to give boost to tourism in the area, it would be connected with Manali by creating another tourism circuit. He said that Tehsildar Thunag would be sitting in Chhatri to dispose off revenue work in the area in last week of the month regularly. He said that field level functionaries had been directed to remain available to the public on working days, especially patwaris, panchayat secretaries and panchayat sahayaks.
Prof. Dhumal said that the State Government was providing Rs, 316 crore to the consumers as subsidy during current financial year which included Rs. 166 crore on providing domestic power consumer electricity at cheap rates and subsidised essential commodities to the ration card holders where Rs. 150 crore were being spent. He said that the State Government had spent Rs. 65 crore on providing four CFL bulbs free of cost to each domestic electricity consumer under Atal Bijli Bachat Yojna. He said that there were a large number of other schemes which had benefited every family in the State.
Chief Minister, emphasizing the importance of women folk in overall development, said that it was a happy augury that 58 percent women had been elected to Panchayati Raj Institutions against 50 percent seats reserved for them. He said that it was BJP Government in the State which had provided 50 percent reservation for women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions. He said that the State Government had launched ‘Matri Sashaktikaran Yojna’ under which free ambulance, free institutional deliveries were being done in government hospitals besides providing free transport facility to go to home. He said that free ambulance service was being provided for serious ailment and also in emergency under ‘Atal Swasthya Sewa’ and appealed to the people to avail the facility. He said that second phase of ‘Mukhya Mantri Vidyarthi Swasthya Yojna’ had been launched in the State after successful completion of the programme, wherein 10 lakh school students would be medically examined by a team of medical experts and any critical illness detected among them so that necessary precautionary measures were adopted well in time.
Chief Minister said that ‘Beti Hai Anmol’ scheme had been of immense value to the daughters of the poor families under which Rs. 5,100 was being deposited in the Post Offices on the birth of girl child upto two girls.
He said that to combat the price rise the State Government had initiated various measures by enhancing the purchasing power of the consumers. He criticised the Central Government for enhancing the price of petroleum products, especially LPG which was Rs. 200 per cylinder during NDA regime and was costing Rs. 460 in UPA regime. He said that the State Government had launched ‘Mata Shabri Mahlia Sashaktikaran Yojna’ to provide fifty percent subsidy to the women of poor families on gas connection and purchase of stove.
Prof. Dhumal announced Rs. 22 lakh for construction of various link roads in the area besides upgradation of various schools, additional accommodation in local rest house.
Prof. Dhumal said that Chhatri-Gada Gushaini road had connected six gram panchayats.
Chief Minister said that the State Government has also given priority for redressal of public grievances for which ‘Prashasan Janta Ke Dwar’ were being organised in various parts of the State.
Shri Jai Ram Thakur, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, welcoming the Chief Minister thanked him for adding two more developmental milestones in the history of the far flung area of district Mandi and 3rd December, 2011 would go as a red letter day for them as he was the first Chief Minister, to visit the area. He said that with the inauguration of Chhatri- Gada Gushaini road, a long pending demand of the people had been fulfilled. He said that over 500 kms. of road had been constructed in the segment under BJP regime in the State. He said that soon Chhatri would also be connected with Janjehali via Magru Gala by spending Rs. 2.75 crore over the road project under execution. He said that Chhatri-Gada Gushaini road would reduce distance between Chhatri and Mandi by over 45 kms.
Shri Hira Lal, MLA Karsog also spoke on the occasion and detailed the works undertaken in the area in last four years. Shri Kishori Lal, MLA, Ani, lauded the uniform and balanced development which was taking place in the State under the leadership of Prof. Dhumal.
Shri P.L.Gupta, President, BJP Mandal, Karsog, Shri Hem Raj Verma, President, Seraj BJP Mandal, Shri Hukam Chand Thakur, Chairman, Panchayat Samiti, Karsog, Shri Devesh Kumar, DC, Mandi, Shri P.D.Prasad, SP Mandi, Shri R.C. Verma, Chief Engineer, PWD Central Zone, Smt. Rajni Thakur, President, Mahila Mandal, Janjehli, Smt. Ritu Sharma, Pradhan, Gram Panchayat, Chhatri, other senior officers and prominent people of the area were present on the occasion.
