Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday said that to give more impetus to tourism and facilitate the people, Himachal Pradesh would be included in the second phase of Udde Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme, a regional connectivity scheme.
The Chief Minister, while addressing a public meeting at Jogindernagar in Mandi said that the State Government was endeavoured for providing air connectivity to the far flung areas of the hill state and he was grateful to the Prime Minister for including Himachal Pradesh under UDAN Scheme in first phase and also ensured to include the state under the Scheme in second phase as well.
Under the second phase more facilities will be provided to the people from neighbouring states as well. The roads as demanded by the people would be certainly incorporated in coming budget and adequate budgetary provision would be made to refurbish them, he said.
Thakur said that under PMGSY, a provision of Rs 24.58 crore has been made for five local roads and tender process has begun. The Chief Minister also announced a sum of Rs 10 crore for five roads including Gumma to Kharsa road Shanan-Arthi, Petu Nallah-Gaduhi road, Balakrupi to Darat Bangla and Chauntra -Tikri Mushera road.
He said that during elections, the people of district completely wiped the Congress from the district, and it was but obvious that the Chief Minister would be from Mandi district as Mandi missed the mark many times before right from the times of Thakur Karam Singh and Sukh Ram.
Thakur said that no one during last four years could raise fingers on the working of Prime Minister and for the very reason, the BJP will rule the country for many more years in times to come and so, will be in Himachal Pradesh.
To benefit the elders and bring more of them in the ambit of social security pension, my government in its very first cabinet meeting decided to reduce the age from 80 to 70 for social security pension of elders. The government won’t work with a motive of vendetta politics, he said.
Earlier, the Chief Minister also administered polio drops to the children on the occasion thus launching polio vaccination drive in the state.
He said that as many as 6,44,036 children below five years of age were to be administered with polio drops all over the state and 5866 polio booths have been set up for the same.
Around 11361 Polio teams have been assigned the task to ensure administering polio drops to children.
In Mandi district, 1103 booths have been set up to administer polio drops to 81,112 children.
Earlier, the Member of Parliament, Ram Swaroop Sharma, local MlA Prakash Rana and former Minister Gulab Singh Thakur welcomed the Chief Minister and other dignitaries present on the occasion. They also placed several demands of the area before the Chief Minister.