Himachal Pradesh is among the best performing States in Covid management, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Saturday, adding the steps taken by his government have earned the praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as other states.
Speaking after laying the foundation stones of nine developmental projects worth about `43 crore in Fatehpur Assembly constituency of the Kangra district, he said the Congress remained in power for about 50 years in Himachal as well as at the Centre, but there were only about 50 ventilators in the state when the pandemic started.
"I took up the matter with the Prime Minister and immediately 500 new ventilators were provided under the PMCARES fund for the state. Himachal Pradesh is among the best states in the matter of Covid management. The steps taken by the State Government to check the spread of this virus has been appreciated not only by the prime minister, but even by other states," he said.
The Chief Minister said there was only one oxygen plant in the State, whereas today 10 plants have been made functional and 28 were being established soon.
The Fatehpur assembly seat has been lying vacant since the death of Congress MLA Sujjan Singh Pathania in February this year. It will go to bypolls soon.
Presiding over the 'Labharthi Sammalen' (beneficiary congregation) of various state government scheme, he announced several schemes and initiatives including the opening of a sub-tehsil at Rae, upgrading Barot High School to a Government senior secondary school, channelisation of Nagoh and Kundal khuds and Rs 10 lakh for retaining wall at Guru Ravi Dass temple complex.