With the BJP-led State Government completing two years in power in Himachal Pradesh, the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday maintained that changes are being witnessed in the State, especially in rural areas, owing to the effective implementation of new developmental schemes launched by the Government.
Presenting the BJP Government’s report card, Thakur said that the two-year’s time period has been dedicated to good Governance, innovation, and public service. “A new era of development has started as a result of launching of new developmental schemes with new vision. Due to effective implementation of these schemes, changes are being witnessed in the state, especially in rural life,” he said.
Notably, the incumbent government is completing two years in power on December 27.
Thakur said that the two years have been full of faith, progress, and development. “I am saying two years of trust because people of the State has given full trust and support to our government. We won all the four seats in the Lok Sabha elections by a record margin…We also won both by-elections,” he said adding that it proved that the people of the State have given their full support to our policies and programmes and expressed confidence in us.
“I thank the people of the State for this cooperation and trust,” he added.
Thakur said that the Government has accorded top priority for redressal of public grievances, and the Jan Manch programme has proved to be a milestone in addressing complaints in minimum time period. “So far, 171 Jan Manches have been organized in all 68 assembly constituencies in which 43,271 complaints and demands were received and 96 percent of these have been settled,” he said.
For addressing public grievances, the State Government has started Chief Minister’s Helpline-1100, Him Pragati portal regarding all ongoing schemes and projects set up in the Chief Minister’s Office and personally monitored by him.
Similarly, construction quality monitoring cell has been established in the CM office to monitor the
construction works, he
added.
For the convenience of the people and to improve the government’s functioning, “we are providing most of the services online. Himachal Pradesh has become the first state to online the family register”, said Thakur.
The Chief Minister added that in the first Cabinet meeting, “we reduced the age limit for receiving social security pension for senior citizens from 80 to 70 years. “At present, 3,56,563 senior citizens are being provided enhanced pension at the rate of Rs 1,500 per month against the earlier Rs 850.
For women empowerment, “Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana is the major initiative under which free gas connections have been given to all those poor families who were unable to take benefits of the Centre’s Ujjwala scheme…More than 2.62 lakh families have been benefited so far and a target has been set to provide free gas connection to 100 percent eligible
beneficiaries.
He said that the government has launched ‘Him Care’ scheme for families not covered under Ayushman Bharat scheme to provide free treatment of Rs five lakh per family, besides the Chief Minister Medical Fund to provide financial assistance to persons suffering from serious diseases.
“Tourism development is our special priority. A new tourism development project financed by the Asian Development Bank amounting to Rs 1,892 crore has been approved. In the first phase under the ‘Nai Rahein Nai Manzilien’ scheme, Janjehli is being developed for tourism, Chanshal Valley for skiing, Beed-Billing for paragliding and Larji and Pong Dam for water sports,” he said.
He added that a traditional arts and crafts center has been set up at Bargran near Manali, the tourist cultural center at Janjehli in Mandi district and the process of establishing Shivdham is in progress in Mandi.
The process of setting up an international level airport in Mandi district is also going on for which 3490 bigha land has been identified.