Listens to public grievances under ‘Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar’ programme
Announces installation of Rs. 28 crore PET Scan Machine at RPGMC Tanda
Punjab Newsline, Shimla/ Dharamshala-
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today held the 'Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar' programme at Gram Panchayat Tangroti in the Dharamshala Assembly constituency, where he listened to the grievances of local residents. During the programme, he announced a grant of rupees one lakh each for the local Mahila Mandals, along with funds for the Ramed-Tangroti link road, the tarring of the Tangroti link road and other adjoining roads.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the government has declared Kangra district as the “Tourism Capital of Himachal Pradesh,” and several tourism projects were currently being implemented in the region. These initiatives, he said, would substantially enhance the income of local residents in the coming years. He added that Rs. 460 crore has been released for the expansion of the Kangra Airport and work was underway. “Once completed, the airport will increase the value of the land and witness surge in tourist inflow, strengthening the region’s economy,” he stated.
Highlighting that more than 90 percent of the State’s population resides in rural areas, the Chief Minister said the government was making sincere efforts to strengthen the rural economy. To support cattle rearers, the government has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of cow milk to Rs.51 per litre and buffalo milk to Rs.61 per litre. Giving priority to farmers, MSP has also been declared for naturally grown crops. The government is procuring wheat at Rs.60 per kg, maize at Rs.40 per kg, and raw turmeric at Rs.90 per kg produced under natural farming. Efforts are also being made to create employment opportunities for the youth near their homes to make them self-reliant, he said.
Referring to the recent by-elections, the Chief Minister said that the BJP won the Dharamshala seat through false propaganda. He remarked that Congress candidate Devinder Singh Jaggi lost by a narrow margin to a candidate who had switched allegiance from Congress to the BJP.
Sukhu said that the government was giving special impetus to the modernization of the education and health sectors. Himachal Pradesh has recently achieved the milestone of becoming a fully literate State with a literacy rate of 99.30 percent, placing it among the top five States in reading and writing proficiency. “Due to the reforms introduced by the present government, Himachal Pradesh now ranks 5th in the country in qualitative education, whereas during the previous BJP government, the State had slipped to the 21st rank,” he added.
He further stated that significant improvements have been made in the health sector for the first time. Robotic surgery has commenced at RPGMC Tanda in Kangra district and at Chamiyana Hospital in Shimla on the analogy of AIIMS. The government has sanctioned Rs.28 crore for installing a PET Scan machine at RPGMC Tanda. Additionally, advanced CT Scan and X-ray machines were also being installed.
Speaking on the occasion, Congress leader Devinder Singh Jaggi said that the Chief Minister was committed to ensuring that welfare schemes reach the grassroots level. He added that the Tangroti milk collection centre would be further expanded. He also said that the BJP MLA from Dharamshala has remained out of touch with the public.
Local panchayat representatives welcomed and felicitated the Chief Minister. Chairman Wool Federation Manoj Thakur, Mayor MC Dharamshala Neenu Sharma, Chairman APMC Kangra Nishu Mongra and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.