Kinnaur, April 15
Himachal Pradesh celebrated its 79th Himachal Day on Wednesday with great enthusiasm. Functions were held throughout the state to celebrate the day, a state-level function was held at Reckong Peo of Kinnaur district. On the occasion, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu unfurled the National Flag and took the salute at the march past. The parade was led by DSP Umeshwar Rana and included contingents from the 6th Indian Reserve Battalion, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), District Police Kinnaur, 2nd Indian Reserve Battalion (Women), Home Guards, Traffic Police, SDRF, NCC unit of Government Senior Secondary School Reckong Peo, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Reckong Peo, Home Guards Band and the band contingent of Senior Secondary School Kothi.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister greeted the people of the state and also paid tribute to the first Chief Minister of Himachal, Dr. YS Parmar and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for their immense contribution to the formation of Himachal Pradesh.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced that all eligible women in Kinnaur district will receive a samman Nidhi of Rs. 1,500 under the ‘Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi’ yojana. He also announced connecting all government institutions, schools and households in Reckong Peo with a central heating system powered by geothermal energy. Additionally, he announced Rs. 8 crore for connecting Taranda village through a traffic tunnel and the upgradation of Choltu High School to a Senior Secondary School with the implementation of the CBSE curriculum.
CM announced that the Polytechnic College of Kinnaur district, currently operating in Rohru, will soon be shifted and made functional at Urni. He said that the Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School under construction in Reckong Peo will be completed within six months. He said that the Nigulsari-Bhavanagar 4 km road, constructed at a cost of Rs. 12 crore, has been passed, which will benefit people of both Kinnaur and Spiti area. He further said that, due to the efforts of the state government, a heli-taxi service has been started between Reckong Peo and Shimla, for which Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi made personal efforts.
Sukhu said that the state government is initiating work on the historic 66 KV Pooh-Kaza transmission line project, spanning 125 km with 495 towers, at a cost of Rs. 415 crore. This project will benefit approximately 17,500 residents of Kinnaur as well as Spiti valley. He added that the survey for the 45 km Sumdo-Kaza line under this project has already been completed. He further said that, due to the efforts of the state government, border trade with China via Shipki-La is set to resume from 1st June this year, which is a significant achievement of the state government. The matter of commencing the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Shipki-La has also been strongly taken up with the Union Government, and positive developments are emerging. He said that the efforts of the state government to promote border tourism are yielding positive results, with a significant number of tourists visiting areas along the China border, leading to an increase in the income of local residents.
CM announced the withdrawal of the 3 percent salary deferment for Class I and Class II officers. He further stated that the pending gratuity and leave encashment of Class IV employees who retired between 1st January, 2016 and 31st December 2021, will be cleared by the month of May, involving an expenditure of Rs. 50 crore. He added that the temporary deferment of 30 percent and 20 percent in the salaries of the Chief Minister, Ministers, MLAs, the Chief Secretary, the DGP and senior officers will continue.
The Chief Minister also announced that all eligible non-gazetted officers of the state police will be granted one honorary higher rank on the day of their retirement. He said, “Our government is committed to ensuring respect for police personnel who serve with honesty and dedication. I hope this initiative will infuse new energy into the police force.”
Sukhu said that the 16th Finance Commission has decided to discontinue the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), which will result in an average annual loss of Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 10,000 crore for the state, amounting to approximately Rs. 50,000 crore over five years. He said that due to the discontinuation of RDG, the government has had to adopt fiscal discipline and present a budget that is Rs. 3,000 crore lower than the previous year. He added, “We are determined to face these challenges and will generate new resources to lead the state on the path of development and prosperity. The budget presented for this financial year does not impose any burden on the common people. It is the first budget of the state that prioritizes farmers, horticulturists, livestock rearers, shepherds and fishermen.”
