June 18:Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister said that State Government would shift more departments to Bilaspur with a view to strengthen the district with administrative infrastructure. He said that Rs. 43.45 crore were being spent on construction of roads and bridges in district Bilaspur during current financial year and added that State Government would also consider exempting stamp duty on agro produce after taking all related aspects into consideration.Chief Minister stated this while addressing a public meeting at Jukhala in Bilaspur district today after laying the foundation stone of Lift Irrigation Scheme for Jukhala group of villages estimated to cost Rs. 188.93 lakh which would irrigate 116 hectares of land. He also laid foundation stone of Government Degree College building at Jukhala to be constructed at cost of Rs. 5.88 crore.
Chief Minister said that State Government would also spend Rs. 5.86 crore on each new degree college at Jukhala, Jhanduta and Bilaspur town. He said that three Agro Produce Marketing Collection Centres would also be opened to facilitate the farmers to market their produce more conveniently. He said that process had already been started to set up the headquarter of 1st Women IRB in the district.
Prof. Dhumal said that the State Government was committed to strengthen and modernize the farming and animal husbandry sectors with a view to encourage educated youth adopt the same as their self-employment avocation. He said that Kot-Kehloor was emerging as leader in promoting poly house culture in the State thereby motivating the farmers of other areas also to cultivate off-season vegetables and other agro products so that they could take benefit of selling the same in the market on remunerative prices. He said that modern technique was being introduced in the farm sector to derive maximum income from limited land holdings. He said that there was vast scope to find adequate employment opportunities in the agriculture and animal husbandry sectors. He said that he would personally monitor the progress in both sectors as both portfolios were with him. He said that agriculture scientists had been directed to visit farmers and motivate them to adopt modern cultivation so that employment could be generated for local youth.
Chief Minister said that State Government had not only enhanced the daily wages, social security pension but also the honorarium of representatives of PRIs in the State. He said that the employees were also granted 5 percent interim relief and all such efforts were directed towards strengthening the purchasing power of the people. He said that previous Government increased daily wages by Rs. 15 in 5 years whereas the present Government increased the same by 33 percent in one go.
Chief Minister expressed gratitude towards the voters of Hamirpur Parliamentary segment for creating history by electing BJP candidate Shri Anurag Thakur with record margin and added that it was reaffirmation of faith of people in policies and programmes of BJP.
Shri Ishwar Dass Dhiman, Education Minister said that previous Government in the State opened educational institutions without creating infrastructure and discontinued the scholarships to meritorious and needy students introduced by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal in his earlier tenure. He said that Rs. 197 crore would be spent on creating quality educational infrastructure in all Government institutions during current financial year out of which Rs. 4 crore would be spent in Kot-Kehloor segment. He said that funds would not be any constraint to complete the degree college building at Jukhala and appealed teachers to help in creating good educational environment in the State.
Shri Anurag Thakur, MP Lok Sabha thanked people of the area for their overwhelming support which created history as all 17 assembly segments registered lead in his favour. He assured the people of his best cooperation to develop Kot-Kehloor as a model segment. He said that Rs. 1 crore would be spent on Cricket Stadium at Luhnu ground.
Shri Randhir Sharma, Local MLA welcomed the Chief Minister. He said that long pending demand of the local people had been fulfilled with the foundation stones of LIS Jukhala and Degree College. He thanked the Chief Minister for making available funds for various developmental projects and urged for construction of marketing yard and three collection centres in the area besides more water supply schemes and mettling of roads.
Shri Daulat Ram Thakur, President District BJP thanked the Chief Minister for his concern towards the developmental needs of the area.
Shri J.P. Nadda, Forest and Environment Minister, Shri Ravinder Ravi, IPH Minister, Shri Rikhi Ram Kaundal and Shri Tejwant Negi MLAs, Shri Suresh Chandel, Ex-MP, Shri D.D. Thakur, former MLA, Shri Ranjeet Singh, President Kot-Kehloor BJP Mandal, Shri Sant Ram Vaid, Director BOD State Cooperative Bank, Shri Hans Raj Chauhan, officiating Deputy Commissioner, Shri K.K. Indoria, Superintendent of Police, Dr. O.P Sharma, Director Higher Education, Shri B.S. Rajpal, Engineer-in-Chief, HPPWD, Shri R.N. Sharma, Engineer-in-Chief IPH, Shri Vijay Uppal, Chief Architect, Shri D.K. Gupta, Chief Engineer IPH, party functionaries and senior officers were present on the occasion.