?        Presides over passing out parade of 16^th batch of Police recruits at Daroh

Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh while presiding over the passing out parade of 16th batch of police recruits at Daroh in District Kangra today said that the main motive of the ‘Khaki’ was to eradicate evil from the society and deal with criminals strictly.  He said the responsibility of protecting the property and people of the state rests on shoulders of the personnel and they should ascertain that the anti-social elements do not  creep in to disturb law and order and create fear in the society. He added that  the image of the State as well as of the Police department rests  on them.

He said that the batch which passed out of training today would certainly augment the trained manpower of state police. 

The Chief Minister acknowledged the working challenges of the Himachal Pradesh Police. He said that the state government had sanctioned 1073 posts of constables and the recruitment process was underway besides the recruitment of sub inspectors had been completed and would be given training at Daroh Police training college soon. 

He hoped that training will help them to be  a true professional police personnel and encouraged them to come forward and accept the challenges of policing and meet the responsibilities. 

The Chief Minister exhorted the police officers to be sensitive to the security needs of women and protect the poor and weaker section of the society, besides advising the passing out cadets to be more practical and professional for maintaining law, order and exercising patience while dealing with the people.

He said that that there always remains a gap despite good governance and policing and it becomes our duty to deal with endurance and effectiveness. He said that few people for their political benefits unnecessarily flare up the issues. Himachal has a very low percentage of crime rate, he said adding that in the recent infamous Kothkhai case, besides best efforts of the police to crack the same and nab the culprits, lots of hullabaloo was created by the few in Opposition.

“I personally wrote to the Prime Minister of India to hand over the case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), not because our police was inefficient, but taking into consideration the voice of the people”, he said. Now the CBI was dealing with the case and urged for three months extra  time to submit the status  report in the case, but the High court ordered them to submit it in two weeks, he said.  The CBI should not make further delay and should go ahead to nab the culprits at the earliest. 

The Chief Minister announced a sum of Rs 25 lakh for overhead water tanks of one thousand litres and changing water pipes, Rs 20 lakh for installation Solar lights in the campus of PTC Daroh.  He also announced Rs 6.50 lakh for Bio-digesters in all the buildings of PTC, Daroh.

Earlier, the Chief Minister took salute from impressive march past presented by the participants including both men and women police contingents from Southern range, Northern Range, Central Unit and Reserve battalions.  

During the nine months long and  hard training they acquired the skill in Law, Police science, criminology, Computer application, cyber crime and human rights with emphasis on professionalism, discipline and good behaviour, said DGP Somesh Goyal. 

For effective community policing the passing out batch have been sensitised on gender issues, crime against women and children and senior citizens as well, with special emphasis on safety  of women, said Sh. Goyal. 

DIG, Northern Range Shri JP Singh while detailing about the training process stated that for upcoming 17th batch, as many as 52 trainees were being imparted training at Daroh and 149 trainees of 18th batch were undergoing training in  third reserve battalion, Pandoh. 

As many as 785 police personnel were given training at Police Training College (PTC) Daroh. Besides 269 women police personnel were trained  in 2nd India Reserve Battilion (IRB) Sakoh and 184  at 1^st  Himachal Pradesh Armed Police at Junga in 16th batch. 

An impressive commando skill show formed part of the function besides cultural programme and other acrobatics display. 

Speaker Shri Brij Bihari Lal Butail, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Shri Jagjeevan Pal, MLAs Shri Sanjay Rattan, Shri Ajay Mahajan, Shri Yadvinder Goma, Chairman Education Board Shri Balbir Tegta and senior police officers were  present on the occasion amongst others. 

  A high level delegation of  Himachal Gaddi Union led by state President Advocate Joginder Paul Kapoor met Chief  Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh  today at Dharamshala. The delegation handed over a memorandum of demands to the Chief Minister and thanked him for giving due honour and befitting representation to Gaddi community in his cabinet and government since he took over as a Chief Minister of the state.

    The delegation urged the Chief Minister to constitute a separate directorate for research and development to improve progeny of sheep and goat under Animal Husbandry department and also to issue more funds to the scheduled tribe community of Kangra district under Tribal Sub Plan.

    Shri Virbhadra Singh assured the representatives of  Himachal Pradesh Gaddi Union to consider all their demands on priority. He said the State Govt. had already been cogitating to constitute a separate wing for the development of sheep and goat in  Animal Husbandry Department.  He said that adequate budget would be provided in the coming financial year under Tribal Sub Plan.  The proposal for this purpose was also mooted  in the BJP regime, but nothing concrete could be done to benefit the community. However, his government  has taken a positive step in this direction, he added.

   Urban Development Minister Shri Sudhir Sharma, Advisor, Himachal Gaddi Union Shri Mansa Ram, Treasurer Shri Kuldeep Kapoor, Spokesperson Shri Vijay, President District Kangra UnionShri Milap Bhatt, Secretary and Co-ordinator District Kangra Shri Kultar Gaswani and President Youth District Kangra Union Shri Ravinder Ranaut were present on the occasion.

Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh distributing  laptops to meritorious students of 10th and plus 2  under Rajeev Gandhi Digital Yojna during state level independence day function at  Rampur on 15 August 2017.

Unfurls the tricolour on State Level Independence Day function at Rampur

While presiding over the 71^st State Level Independence day celebration function at Rampur in Shimla district, Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh announced Dearness Allowance of four percent to State Government employees and pensioners from January, 2017 to be incorporated in salary of September, 2017 and to be paid in October. He also announced Government Degree College at Jeuri.

Congratulating the people of the State on the occasion, he said that it was hard-earned independence and we salute the freedom fighters and our countrymen who laid their lives for attaining Independence. 

He said unemployment was the biggest issue when the government came to power and fulfilling its commitment as promised in its election manifesto, the State Government declared unemployment allowance of Rs 1000 per month to unemployed having 10 plus two or above qualification. Youth with disability were being given unemployment allowance of Rs 1500 per month.

Shri Virbhadra Singh said that emoluments of contract employees have been enhanced from 50 per cent to 75 per cent of grade pay and wages of daily wagers have been increased from Rs 150 to Rs 210 besides many other benefits to employees and pensioners.

We have established Kaushal Vikas Nigam  to implement Rs. 640 crore ADB assisted Skill Development Project, said the Chief Minister. As many as  31,991 youth have been provided employment in private sector by organising 42 job fairs and holding 949 campus interviews and besides this, around 63000 were employed  in Public sector and an almost  equal number of employment avenues were generated in private sector, he added.  the Chief Minister said that the government announced regularisation of contract employees after three years of service.

During these years, the State has achieved spectacular progress in the field of health, education and inclusive growth. The State has been adjudged as 'Best State' in the country in the field of education and inclusive growth, he said adding that Himachal had been declared the first Open Defecation Free State amongst the big States  in the country. It has also won the 'Krishi Karmanaya Award' for increasing food grain production. 

Shri Virbhadra Singh said that the government paid special attention to welfare and upliftment of the weaker sections of the society. Social security pension had been enhanced from Rs. 450 to Rs. 700 per month there by benefitting around 3,89,168 old-aged, widows and physically challenged . 

Chief Minister said that construction of roads was on the priority agenda of the Government and special emphasis was being laid to provide road  connectivity to the remotest corners of the State. As many as  2314 kilometres of new roads and 215 bridges have been constructed during over last four and a half years and 864 villages were provided road connectivity. 

As of now, around 3140 panchayats out of a total 3226  have been connected with motorable roads and work was in progress to connect the remaining panchayats. With this the total road length of roads in the state was now around 37 thousand, said Virbhadra Singh. 

Himachal Pradesh was  becoming a Education Hub of the country. Fifty new colleges have been opened in the State and six colleges have been taken over by the State Government during this period taking strength of colleges to 128.  About 900 posts of different categories have been created for smooth functioning of these newly opened colleges. 

In addition, 9600 posts of different categories have been filled in the education department and 1485 new Government Schools have been opened or upgraded during this period, said the Chief Minister.  In addition to this three Engineering Colleges, 35 Industrial training Institutes  and four Centrally Funded Institutes viz. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) have also been opened on the state.

Shri Virbhadra Singh said that over 230 new health institutions have been opened in the State during the past over four and a half years. A super specialty block of IGMC would be constructed at Chamyana, near Shimla to cost Rs 290 crore. Dr Y.S. Parmar Government Medical College has been opened at Nahan in Sirmour district. ESI Medical College and Hospital in Mandi has been taken over by the State Government and named after Sh. Lal Bhadur Shastri, he said adding that Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College has been opened at Chamba and classes in both these Medical Colleges for 100 MBBS seats each would be started from the current academic session. Process is on to open another Government Medical College at Hamirpur. 

He said that the work to provide three-phase electricity was underway to solve the low voltage problem, adding that almost 100 percent electrification had been achieved. Similarly, there was tap water for drinking in almost all villages. 

Earlier, the Chief Minister hoisted the National Flag and took salute from the impressive march past by contingents of Police, Home-guards, NCC, scouts and guides  and NSS cadets including  school children. The parade was led by parade commander Dr. Monika Bhatungru (IPS) from Lahaul in Himachal. 

A colourful cultural performance was presented on the occasion. He also gave away prizes to the participants of culture performances and others. 

Irrigation and Public Health Minister Smt. Vidya Stokes, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Shri Nand Lal, MLA, Rohru Shri Mohan Lal Brakta, former  MP, Smt. Pratibha Singh, State Youth Congress President Shri Vikramaditya Singh, Chief Secretary Shri V.C. Pharka, DGP Shri Somesh Goyal were also present on the occasion amongst Civil and police officers besides others. 

                The state government has always accorded top priority to provide quality health services to the people and modern health facilities and equipments have been made available to facilitate the patients for their treatment within the state. Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh stated this while addressing a public meeting at Raj Mata Shanti Memorial Senior Secondary School at Taklech in Rampur Sub-division of district Shimla today. 

He said Himachal Pradesh is the first state in South East Asia to launch life saving health schemes, especially for Rubella Measles and free insulin for patients below 18 years of age. To strengthen the health infrastructure, as many as 230 Health institutions have been opened in the state during the last four and a half years.

"I fail to understand why the Union Health Minister is not showing interest in starting work on AIIMS in his home constituency Bilaspur despite the fact the land as desired by the Union Ministry of Health from state government has already been provided ", said the Chief Minister.

The opening of AIIMS would have benefitted the state, but has fallen prey to dilly-dallying tactics by Union Health Minister and above all they blame state government for not co-operating, he said.

Shri Virbhadra Singh said the state government has made three medical colleges functional in the state at Chamba, Nahan and ESIC at Ner Chowk in District Mandi. The fate of Hamirpur medical college has hung due to forest clearance, he said.

The Chief Minister today dedicated developmental projects worth Rs. 49.83 crore in Rampur constituency, few of them online. He inaugurated lift water supply scheme Kandi-Kashapath for Deothi, Kuhaal, Dansa, Lalsa areas completed at a cost of Rs. 20.66 crore, Community Health Centre constructed at a cost of Rs. 2.40 crore and Police Post constructed at a cost of Rs.1.22 crore at Taklech, gravity water supply scheme for Kashapath group of villages completed by spending Rs. 1.80 crore, Thalli-Sholi road completed by spending Rs.4.70 crore, three Ayurveda health centres at Muneesh Dofda, Kandi and Kashapath, Khanog-Ghadasu road on which Rs. 94 lakh have been spent and BDO office at Nankhari which has come up at a cost of Rs.1.17 crore.

He laid foundation stone of sewerage scheme at Taklech to be constructed at a cost of Rs 12.08 crore and building at government senior secondary school, Sholi to be completed by spending Rs 2.36 crore.

The Chief Minister inaugurated building of government senior secondary school, Bhadawali completed at a cost of Rs. 2.80 crore besides Forest rest house at Sholi,

He said that there was an urgent need of sewerage system at Taklech, as it was fast developing in to a mini township. We need to keep our environment clean and for the very purpose the foundation stone of Rs 12.08 crore was laid today.

Stressing the need for sewerage system in all developing mini townships in the stat, The Chief Minister said priority would be given to develop this system. The standards of sanitation in a society are interrelated to the levels of hygiene and public health for attainable standards of longevity and extent of diseases. He said that Mahatma Gandhi realised early in his life that the prevalent poor state of sanitation and cleanliness in India and particularly the lack of adequate toilets in the then largely rural India needed as much attention as was being devoted toward attainment of swaraj.

He announced for plying bus service between Taklech and Shimla and assured that the issue regarding opening of Gas Agency in Taklech would be taken up with the concerned department and the Ministry of Petroleum. The Gas agency would be operated through civil supplies, he added.

He announced a sum of rupees 15 thousand for promotion of cultural activities for GSSS, Taklech.

The Chief Minister later listened to the grievances of the people at Thalli Chakti and addressed a public meeting at Sholi.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Shri Nand Lal lambasted at the BJP for burying the concept of democracy as without the adequate number of MLAs, they played with spirit of democracy by forming government in Manipur and Goa. They (BJP) made mockery of democracy, he said.

Vice-Chairman, HPSIDC Atul Sharma, President BCC Satish Verma, President, Mahila Block Congress Satya Bhushan, Pradhan, GP Taklech Pawana were also present on the occasion amongst others.

Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh today said that the state government has given top priority to provide road facility to all gram panchayat to ensure speedy and all-round development of all areas. Similarly, water and drinking water facility along-with good health and education services are being ensured to facilitate the rural masses.

He was addressing a public meeting at Jabri in Shimla Rural assembly segment after dedicating and laying foundation stones of various developmental projects. He inaugurated Kadyachi-Tabhog road constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.24 crore and flagged-off the state transport bus on this route. He inaugurated lift water supply scheme Bamot-Bag completed at a cost of Rs. 85.35 lakh, health sub-centre building and yuvak mandal bhawan at Bamot, veterinary farmers training centre at Ghanahati. He laid foundation stones of science laboratory of government senior secondary school, Pahal, health sub-centre at Dhalaya and Animal Husbandry
Centre at Jabri. He approved to construct link roads to Ghaini and Chaili from Tabhog to facilitate the people of local area and announced rupees two lakh for completion of repair work of gram panchayat bhawan, Pahal.

Referring to the development carried out in Shimla Rural constituency, Shri Virbhadra Singh said the constituency has witnessed unprecedented development in all sectors during last four and a half years be it construction of roads, opening of health and educational institutions, providing drinking water and irrigation facilities etc. He said a major drinking water supply scheme from Sainj khud covering 39 panchayats of the constituency has recently been dedicated to the people completed by spending Rs. 105.57 crore. Degree colleges have been opened at Sunni and at 16 Mile besides a large number of high and senior secondary schools to facilitate the students of rural areas. Likewise, various health institutes and several other important institutions have also come during this period.

President, State Youth Congress Shri Vikramditya Singh also addressed the public meeting and gave details of unprecedented development that has taken place in the assembly segment during the tenure of the present government.

Irrigation and Public Health Minister Smt. Vidya Stokes, Zila Parishad Chairperson Smt. Dharmila Harnot, BDC Chairman Shri Pradeep Verma, former MLA Shri Sohan Lal were also present on the occasion.