January 25, 2012 admin

Statehood Day Celebration

SHIMLA 25 January 2012 : Himachal Pradesh completes 41 years of Statehood today.  It was conferred the status of full State on 25th January, 1971. State Level function was organized to mark the occasion at Sundernagar in Mandi district today where Chief Minister, Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal unfurled the National Flag and took salute at an impressive march past presented by Police, Home Guards, NCC.  Shri Kulbhushan Verma, Deputy Superintendent of Police commanded the Parade.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal felicitated the people of the State on Statehood. He said that started from humble beginning in 1971, the State had emerged a pioneer in development not for hill areas but also amongst other States also in the Country. He said that the State’s development indicators like Per Capita Income, State Gross Domestic Product and Literacy Percentage were the best in the Country today. He said that the Per Capita Income which was Rs. 651 only in 1971 had gone up to Rs. 18,493 in 2011 and State’s Gross Domestic Product from Rs. 223 crore to Rs. 52,426 crore. The literacy percentage of the State is 83.8 percent today whereas it was only 23 percent in the year 1971.
Chief Minister said that conferment of 52 Awards on the State for its best performance in various developmental indicators during last four years, amply speak about the development that State had made in last four years.
Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal said that his Government was committed for the speedy development of the State besides ensuring welfare of all sections of the society and added that focus of the policies and programmes initiated during last four years had remained this. The Government was ensuring that benefits of the programmes of the Government percolate down to the common man first.  Chief Minister said that development in rural areas had been speeded up and agrarian economy was being strengthened. He said that 12 percent of the total budget was being spent on Agriculture and allied activities. More than Rs. 1100 crore had been spent in this sector during last four years. State had also got ‘State Agriculture Leadership Award’ in the year 2010, he added.
Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal said that Rs. 323 crore ‘Pt. Deen Dayal Kisan Bagwan Samridhi Yojna’ launched in the year 2009 had proved a great success in strengthening the economy of the farmers in the State. He said 80 percent subsidy was being given for construction of poly houses and micro irrigation. He said that 16,500 poly houses would be set up in the State besides bringing 20, 000
hectare area under micro irrigation under the scheme.  He said Rs. 75 crore subsidy had been given to the farmers in the State during last four years.
Chief Minister said that another ambitious Rs. 321 crore Crop Diversification Scheme had been launched in the State last year for promoting organic farming and vegetable production which would also go a long way in strengthening the economy of the farmers.
Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal said that the present Government was the benefactor of the farmers and fruit growers. He said that remunerated prices were being ensured to the fruit growers by giving support prices under market intervention scheme.
Chief Minister said that Rs. 300 crore was being spent on implementation of ‘Doodh Ganga Scheme’ in the State for which loans were being made available to the beneficiaries. The general categories were being given subsidy of 25 percent and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe 33 percent on it.
Referring to the welfare of working class, Chief Minister said that the daily wage of the workers had been enhanced from Rs. 75 to Rs. 120 by the present Government besides regularizing all those daily wage and contractual employees who have completed 8 years of service.  He said that the Government was also safeguarding the interests of the employees by solving their genuine problems on priority.
Reiterating his government resolve for speedy uplift of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in the State, Chief Minister said that the allocation under SC Sub plan had been enhanced from 11 percent to 25 percent of the total state’s plan, soon after taking over rein of the administration. He said that this year Rs. 816 crore was being spent under Scheduled Caste Sub plan in the State for speedy upliftment of the Scheduled Caste by implementing various developmental programmes effectively.
Chief Minister said that State’s performance in the implementation of 20 point programme, the man poverty alleviation programme had remained the best in the Country and State had been adjudged at number one for this in last three yeas consecutively.
Chief Minister said that social security pension had been enhanced from Rs. 200 per month to Rs. 300 per month by the present Government, besides sanctioning this pension to 79073 new eligible persons. He said all the eligible persons were getting this pension in the State as all pending cases had been cleared by the Government in the last year.
He said that women empowerment was another area on which the Government had focused attention. He said that 50 percent seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions and Local Bodies had been reserved for women from the year 2008. He said that Himachal Pradesh was one of the few first States in the Country to do it. He said that ‘Mata Shabri Women Empowerment Scheme’ had been started under which the women of poor families were being given subsidy of 50 percent for gas connection and purchase of stove.
He said that a separate Department of Women Welfare had been set up in the State so as to ensure the implementation of programmes launched for their betterment effectively.
Chief Minister said that road, education and health were the top most priority of the Government as these concern the common man and overall development of the State. He said that 3280 kms of new roads and 260 bridges had been constructed in the State during last four years and Government has formulated a plan to connect every village in the State having population of 250 or above by road.  After that other villages would also be connected by road, he added.
Chief Minister said that endeavour of the Government was to make Himachal Pradesh an Educational Hub of the Country for which educational institution including university of standard were being opened in the State. He said that Government had given approval for filling up 20,000 posts of teachers out of which 80 percent had been filled in and the process to fill up the remaining was on.
Chief Minister said that Government was ensuring better health care facilities at their doorstep of the people for which 800 MBBS and 350 Ayurvedic doctors had been appointed and posted in far-flung areas of the State. He said that various ambitious schemes such as ‘Atal Swasthya Sewa Scheme’, ‘Matri Sewa Scheme’, ‘Chief Minister Student Health Scheme’, ‘Muskan’ and ‘Pt. Deen Dayal Aushadh Sewa Scheme’ have been implemented to benefit the people in getting best treatment within the State.
Chief Minister said that to raise the resources hydel power generation, industrial and tourism development had been given priority. He said that 1247 MW of addition power had been generated during last four years and Government was working on a plan to generate 12,000 MW by 2015. He said that when these potential are harnessed fully, Himachal Pradesh would become one of the prosperous State of the Country.
Chief Minister said that industrial potential of the State were also being exploited so as to generate income to the State and employment to the local people.
Reiterating his governments resolve for providing transparent, responsive and corruption free governance to the people, Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal said that Himachal Pradesh Public Service Guarantee Act had been made under which Government officers and officials had been made liable to provide public services to the people within stipulated period failing which they would have to give fine and face disciplinary action. He said that Himachal Pradesh Special Courts (Attachment & Confiscation of Property) Bill, 2011’ has been passed by the Vidhan Sabha under which provision had been made to confiscate the property amassed through corrupt means.  Special Courts would be set up for speedy trial of such cases. He said these steps were in the direction of ensuring corruption free governance and time bound public services to the people. Various other effective steps had also been taken in this direction, he added.
Referring to the development of Mandi District, Chief Minister said that IIT had been set up at Kamand near Mandi and ESI hospital was also being set up in Mandi. He said that 748 kms of new roads, 66 bridges had been constructed during last four years. 4009 habitations have been provided the drinking water facility during this period.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chief Minister announced that 2000 water guards would be kept for maintenance of Water Supply Schemes in rural areas. He further announced the enhancement of honorarium of water guards from Rs. 750 to Rs. 1350 per month. This would benefit 4220 Water Guards in the State.
Chief Minister announced that 100 Junior Engineers would be appointed in the Irrigation and Public Health Department so as to better water supply for fields as well as habitations in the State.
Chief Minister announced 14.40 lakh for Gymnasium Hall at Mandi, Rs. 36.33 lakh for Indoor Stadium Badrinagar (Poanta Sahib), Rs. 15 lakh for Stadium of Govt. Senior Secondary School, Mohri (Mandi), Rs. 6.86 lakh for High Mast lights in Vikram Batra Stadium, Palampur,  Rs. 25 lakh for Town Hall Mandi, Rs. 12.17 lakh for Wrestling Stadium at Chehar (Ghumarwin), Rs. 25 lakh for Stadium in Govt. Senior Secondary School , Karsog, Rs. 20 lakh for boundary wall of Chamoha ground Nahan, Rs. 10 lakh for Outdoor Sports Complex Dhalpur, Kullu, Rs. 5 lakh for Sports Stadium Jubbal, Rs. 15 lakh for Shooting Range at Nahan, Rs. 94 lakh for Synthetic Track Dharamshala, Rs. 90.06 lakh for Sports Complex Dharamshala, Rs. 16.68 lakh for Volley Terra Flex Flooring at Una, Shimla and Dharamshala, Rs. 1 crore for Indoor Stadium Rohroo and Rs. 1.22 crore for Synthetic Track Hamirpur.
Chief Minister also announced upgradation of Govt. Middle School Bandli to Govt. High School, Govt. Middle School Dharanda to Govt. High School, Govt. High Schools Porhi, Kothi, Maloh to Govt. Senior Secondary Schools. 
Chief Minister also announced Rs. 83 lakh for Mini Secretariat, Sundernagar, Rs. 50 lakh for HRTC workshop Sundernagar. Rs. 3.31 crore for Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme Sundernagar.
Chief Minister announced cash incentive and tax exemption under Mukhyamantri Gram Path Parivahan Yojna so as to encourage people to take routes under the scheme in interior areas of the State.  For 29 seater it will be Rs. 2000 per month, for 22 seater Rs. 1500 per month and for 17 seater it will be Rs. 1000 per month.
Shri Gulab Singh Thakur, PWD Minister, Shri Ravinder Singh Ravi, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Shri Narender Bragta, Horticulture Minister, Shri Jai Ram Thakur, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, Shri Mahender Singh, Transport Minister, Shri Dile Ram, MLA and Chairman HP State Finance Commission, Shri Roop Singh Thakur, Col. Inder Singh, Shri Hira Lal, Smt. Vinod Chandel, all MLAs, former MLAs, Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Boards and Corporations, Smt. Rajwant Sandhu, Chief Secretary, Dr. D.S. Manhas, DGP and other senior officers were present on the occasion.
A colourful cultural programme and police band display was also organised on the occasion.
 

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