Punjab Newsline, Shimla January 1-
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 13 development projects worth Rs. 197.93 crore in Kullu district today.
He inaugurated Rs. 20 crore Subzi Mandi Bandrol, Rs. 9.07 crore double-lane bridge over River Beas at Raison. He also dedicated a steel truss bridge completed with an outlay of Rs. 6.44 crore over River Beas at Nehru Kund (Bahang) connecting the link road Burwa and Shanag. He also inaugurated Rs. 4.07 crore RCCT-Beam Bridges over Jagatsukh Nallah and Rs. 3.37 crore Chhaki Nallah, Rs. 20 lakh Vivekanand Library at Patlikuhl, Rs. 7.83 crore Eco-Friendly Market Marhi Tehsil, Manali, Rs. 54 lakh Way Side Amenities at Solangnalla and Rs. 29 lakh Ayurvedic Health Center Building at Sajla.
The Chief Minister also laid foundation stones of Rs.130.18 crore maintenance and tarring of Babeli Jindour road, Rs. 3.59 crore Bandrol Didari Sharan Road and Rs. 1.49 crore Flain to Grahan road. In addition, he also laid foundation stone of Rs. 10.86 crore flood protection work along the Right Bank of River Beas for Village Katrain, 15 Mile Baragran Bihal and adjoining areas.
The Chief Minister conveyed warm greetings to the people on New Year and said that these projects would have the transformative impact on both local residents and tourists. Emphasizing the government's dedication to achieving uniform statewide development, he said that these endeavours would prove as a milestone for the Kullu district. Attributing financial mismanagement to the previous BJP Government, Sukhu said that just within one year, the State Government has improved its economy by 20 percent.
CM said that in 2023 people of Himachal Pradesh faced the disaster boldly. “Despite financial challenges, the state government swiftly adapted, introducing crucial changes in rules to aid the affected families” he said.
He said that the government's commitment was evident as it announced a special package of Rs 4,500 crore for the disaster affected. Compensation for completely damaged houses was increased to Rs 7 lakh from Rs 1.30 lakh, a five-and-a-half-fold increase and in the case of partial damage to kutcha houses, compensation was enhanced by 25 times to rupees one lakh, while for pucca houses, it increased by 15.5 times.
CM said that during the disaster, he himself stayed in Kullu for three days and within 48 hours essential services were temporarily restored. The evacuation of 75 thousand tourists and 15 thousand vehicles showcased the government's efficient response. He said despite the setback in tourism, the state has witnessed a surge in visitors to popular tourist destinations like Shimla, Manali and Dharamshala. He said that the State Government has made proper arrangements to facilitate the tourists and there were some rumours regarding traffic jam in Manali and some other areas which were totally baseless.