79th Himachal Day: CM Sukhu makes key announcements at Reckong Peo

Himachal Pradesh celebrated its 79th Himachal Day at Reckong Peo. CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu unfurled the national flag and announced several development projects, including a Rs 1,500 samman nidhi for women and a geothermal heating system.

Himachal Pradesh celebrated the 79th Himachal Day on Wednesday with great enthusiasm. Functions were held throughout the state to celebrate the day; a state-level function was held at Reckong Peo of Kinnaur district. On the occasion, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu unfurled the National Flag and took the salute at the march past. The parade was led by DSP Umeshwar Rana and included contingents from the 6th Indian Reserve Battalion, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), District Police Kinnaur, 2nd Indian Reserve Battalion (Women), Home Guards, Traffic Police, SDRF, NCC unit of Government Senior Secondary School Reckong Peo, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Reckong Peo, Home Guards Band and the band contingent of Senior Secondary School Kothi.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister greeted the people of the state and also paid tribute to the first Chief Minister of Himachal, YS Parmar and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for their immense contribution to the formation of Himachal Pradesh.

Key Announcements for Kinnaur

On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced that all eligible women in Kinnaur district will receive a samman Nidhi of Rs 1,500 under the 'Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi' yojana. He also announced connecting all government institutions, schools and households in Reckong Peo with a central heating system powered by geothermal energy. Additionally, he announced Rs 8 crore for connecting Taranda village through a traffic tunnel and the upgradation of Choltu High School to a Senior Secondary School with the implementation of the CBSE curriculum.

He announced that the Polytechnic College of Kinnaur district, currently operating in Rohru, will soon be shifted and made functional at Urni. He said that the Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School under construction in Reckong Peo, will be completed within six months. He said that the Nigulsari-Bhavanagar 4 km road, constructed at a cost of Rs 12 crore, has been passed, which will benefit people of both Kinnaur and Spiti area.

He further said that, due to the efforts of the state government, a heli-taxi service has been started between Reckong Peo and Shimla, for which Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi made personal efforts.

CM Sukhu said that the state government is initiating work on the historic 66 KV Pooh-Kaza transmission line project, spanning 125 km with 495 towers, at a cost of Rs 415 crore. This project will benefit approximately 17,500 residents of Kinnaur as well as the Spiti Valley. He added that the survey for the 45 km Sumdo-Kaza line under this project has already been completed.

Boosting Border Trade and Tourism

He further said that, due to the efforts of the state government, border trade with China via Shipki-La is set to resume from June 1 this year, which is a significant achievement of the state government. The matter of commencing the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Shipki-La has also been strongly taken up with the Union Government, and positive developments are emerging. He said that the efforts of the state government to promote border tourism are yielding positive results, with a significant number of tourists visiting areas along the China border, leading to an increase in the income of local residents.

Benefits for Government Employees

He announced the withdrawal of the 3 per cent salary deferment for Class I and Class II officers. He further stated that the pending gratuity and leave encashment of Class IV employees who retired between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2021, will be cleared by the month of May, involving an expenditure of Rs 50 crore. He added that the temporary deferment of 30 per cent and 20 per cent in the salaries of the Chief Minister, Ministers, MLAs, the Chief Secretary, the DGP and senior officers will continue.

The Chief Minister also announced that all eligible non-gazetted officers of the state police will be granted one honorary higher rank on the day of their retirement. He said, "Our government is committed to ensuring respect for police personnel who serve with honesty and dedication. I hope this initiative will infuse new energy into the police force."

Fiscal Discipline and Budget Priorities

CM Sukhu said that the 16th Finance Commission has decided to discontinue the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), which will result in an average annual loss of Rs 8,000 to Rs. 10,000 crore for the state, amounting to approximately Rs 50,000 crore over five years. He said that due to the discontinuation of RDG, the government has had to adopt fiscal discipline and present a budget that is Rs. 3,000 crore lower than the previous year. He added, "We are determined to face these challenges and will generate new resources to lead the state on the path of development and prosperity. The budget presented for this financial year does not impose any burden on the common people. It is the first budget of the state that prioritises farmers, horticulturists, livestock rearers, shepherds and fishermen."

Strengthening Rural and Agrarian Economy

He said that strengthening the rural economy is a top priority for the state government. Over the past three years, the support price of cow milk has increased from Rs 32 to Rs 61 per litre and buffalo milk from Rs 47 to Rs. 71 per litre. Himachal Pradesh has also become the first state in the country to provide a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat, maize and turmeric grown through natural farming. The MSP for wheat has been raised from Rs 60 to Rs 80 per kg, and for maize from Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kg, and raw turmeric from Rs. 90 to Rs 150 per kg.

In the Pangi Valley of the Chamba district, naturally grown barley, earlier procured at Rs. 60 per kg, will now be purchased at Rs 80 per kg. Additionally, for the first time, ginger procurement will be supported with an MSP of Rs 30 per kg.

The Chief Minister said that the government has decided to provide minimum support to fish farmers for fish from reservoirs. During the monsoon ban period on fishing, fisher families will receive a one-time annual honorarium of Rs. 3,500. The royalty rate on fish caught from reservoirs has also been reduced from 15 per cent to 1 per cent.

He further said that the government has decided to implement the country's first horticulture policy, which is expected to generate employment opportunities for around 82,500 people. He added that making the use of universal cartons for apples legally mandatory has ensured better returns for thousands of apple growers.

Major Reforms in Health Sector

He said that major reforms are also being undertaken in the health sector. The introduction of robotic surgery marks a revolutionary step and has already been initiated in four medical colleges, with plans to extend it soon to Hamirpur Medical College. PET scan facilities have been started at IGMC Shimla and will soon be available at Tanda Medical College, reducing the need for patients to travel outside the state for tests related to serious diseases such as cancer. "MRI machines will be installed in hospitals at Kullu, Una, Chamba, Nahan, Bilaspur and Dharamshala, while mammography machines will be set up in Chamba, Nahan and Bilaspur," he announced.

Improving the Education Sector

He said that efforts to improve the education sector are also showing encouraging results. The state government has decided to affiliate 151 government schools with CBSE from this year, leading to an increase in student enrollment, reversing the earlier declining trend in government schools.

Promoting Tourism and Infrastructure

The Chief Minister added that the state government is promoting religious, adventure, spiritual and wellness tourism. Infrastructure development works worth Rs 150 crore each will be undertaken to enhance facilities at Jwalamukhi and Naina Devi.

Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for a sewerage scheme at Sunnam to be constructed at a cost of Rs 8.72 crore and a flood protection scheme in Gram Panchayat Kafnoo costing Rs 2.51 crore. Additionally, he inaugurated the Solding-Chaura road, built at a cost of Rs 4.88 crore.

Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Nardev Singh Kanwar, Vice Chairman of HP Forest Development Corporation Kehar Singh Khachi, Chairman Milkfed Budhi Singh Thakur, Chairman Himcon Vikesh Chauhan, Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta, Director General of Police Ashok Tiwari, Secretary to the Chief Minister Ashish Singhmar, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Amit Kumar Sharma, Superintendent of Police Sushil Kumar Sharma, along with other senior officers and Congress representatives were also present on the occasion. (ANI)

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