Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced the beautification of the Shri Naina Devi Ji temple complex at a cost of Rs. 100 crore. He said that the work would be carried out in three phases. Along with Shri Naina Devi Ji temple, the state government would also beautify Maa Chintpurni, Maa Jwalamukhi, Baba Balak Nath and other temples in the future. He also announced the opening of a division of the Public Works Department and the Jal Shakti Department at Jagatkhana in Shri Naina Devi Ji assembly constituency, along with a new sub-tehsil in Namhol. He also assured Rs. 8 crore for completing the remaining work of the 50-bed hospital in Naina Devi and full funding for the construction of an indoor stadium in Jukhala.
During his one-day visit to the Shri Naina Devi Ji assembly constituency in Bilaspur district, the Chief Minister said that the present state government was committed to bringing prosperity to Himachal Pradesh through ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’. The state government was working towards reaching the last person in the village. He said that the daily wage under MNREGA has been increased from Rs. 240 to Rs. 300. He further stated that the state government has fulfilled its six election guarantees within two years. Women were being provided with a social security of Rs. 1,500 per month in a phased manner and by March 2025, the Indira Gandhi Sukh Samman Nidhi would be given to 50,000 women.
The Chief Minister said that ever since the Congress secured 40 MLAs, the BJP has been spreading false rumours, attempting to create unrest and chaos in the state. He accused BJP leaders of spreading misinformation just to tarnish the reputation of the state and the government. He said that the state government has successfully overcome political challenges with the blessings of Maa Naina Devi, the deities and the people of the state and ensured the strength of Congress MLA remained at 40. He recalled that Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur had said that even god could not save this government.
He said that the state government reinstated the old pension scheme despite the central government’s restrictions. Today more than 7,000 retired NPS employees are getting the benefits of Old Pension Scheme (OPS). These retired NPS employees who were getting monthly pension of Rs. 3,000 were now availing Rs. 30,000 per month under OPS. He said the state government was overcoming central government-imposed restrictions and moving forward. He assured that all pending payments to Public Works Department contractors would be cleared within a week. Speaking about the Bhanupalli railway line, the Chief Minister said that the inception of this was possible as due to former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. The state government has contributed its share for the railway line up to Bilaspur and urged the central government to cover the remaining expenses.
Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the previous BJP government constructed buildings worth Rs. 500 crore, which remain unutilized. He questioned the necessity of these buildings and said that the present government prioritizes quality education and healthcare over infrastructure constructed without purpose. He said that his government has initiated reforms in the education sector and would continue its efforts. He said that to ensure quality education facilities for the students the present state government was establishing Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools in all the assembly constituencies in a phased manner. Himachal Pradesh will have top-quality boarding schools throughout the state in future. He said that even today government health institutions in the state are using outdated medical equipment and our government is making all possible efforts to address this issue by providing modern equipment and other facilities in all the health institutions in the state. He said that the AIIMS in Bilaspur was established but there was a shortage of doctors and no proper facilities for treatment matching the standards of the AIIMS was being made available to the patients.
The Chief Minister said that BJP government has left behind a debt burden of Rs. 75,000 crore and Rs. 10,000 crore liabilities of government employees. He said that six months before the elections, the BJP emptied the state treasury for political gains, distributing freebies worth Rs. 5,000 crore. Not only this, they provided subsidies to wealthy families and large industrialists. He said that the state government has requested individuals earning between Rs. 50 lakh and One crore rupees annually to surrender the subsidies, He said that these decisions do not affect common citizens and would play a vital role in strengthening the economy of the state. He said that no water bills have been collected from rural households.
Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government has supported the disaster affected families with its own resources, as no financial assistance was received from the central government. The state government has adopted 6,000 orphaned children as ‘Children of the State’ and the Himachal has become the first state in the country to enact a law for the orphan children. He said that the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana has also been launched under which educational expenses of 23,000 children of widows and a single woman were covered.
Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh lauded the farsighted vision of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and said that Rs. 80 crore would be allocated for strengthening the Navgaon-Bari road and the work would be commenced soon. He stated that the state government was committed to accelerate development and ensure equitable progress across the state. He reassured that Shri Naina Devi Ji assembly constituency would witness a massive development in the years to come. An estimate of Rs. 3 crore has been prepared for widening and strengthening the road leading to the temple.
He expressed concern over rising drug trafficking in the state and said that the State government was ensuring strict measures against drug traffickers. He urged the youth and local people to support the anti-drug campaign by reporting offenders to the police.
Former Minister Ram Lal Thakur while welcoming the Chief Minister to Shri Naina Devi Ji assembly constituency said that the central government has deprived Himachal Pradesh of its rightful benefits, particularly in denying a special relief package for disaster recovery, as granted to Gujarat and Uttarakhand. He praised the Chief Minister for supporting affected families with state’s own resources. The state government increased the compensation for fully damaged houses from Rs. 1.3 lakh to Rs. 7 lakh. He commended the Chief Minister for always prioritizing the needs of the poor, farmers and women. He also highlighted the ongoing development projects worth crores in Shri Naina Devi Ji assembly constituency.
Former MLA’s Tilak Raj, Bumber Thakur, JICA project Media Advisor Rajeshwar Thakur, senior leaders of the party Additional District Commissioner Dr. Nidhi Patel, SP Sandeep Dhawal and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
