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.