Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said that construction work on 75 MW Dhaulasidh hydro power project near Nadaun would be started soon and added that Rs. 500 crore would be spent on the same. He was addressing a public meeting at Bela Amtar in Hamirpur district after dedicating Ambedkar Bhawan constructed at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh to the people of the area today.
Chief Minister said that the survey for constructing Dhaulasidh project was conducted during the previous tenure of the BJP Government and additional hydro power potential was identified between Pandoh and Nadaun. He said that three additional projects with a potential of 250 MW were identified in addition to Dhaulasidh project. He said that the power problems of the area would be solved after construction of these projects.
Dhumal said that Tourist Information Centre and parking were being constructed at a cost of Rs. 70 lakh at Nadaun which would boost the tourism activities in the area. He said that river rafting centre would be set up at Nadaun at a cost of Rs. 35 lakh which would promote adventure tourism activities in Beas river and Nadaun would emerge as a tourist destination in the State. He said that sports activities were getting fillip in the area with the construction of Atal Behari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium at Amtar.
Chief Minister said that two drinking water supply and irrigation schemes were proposed for Nadaun area at a cost of Rs. 146 crore out of which over Rs. 41 crore would be spent on the water supply schemes and more than Rs. 104 crore on irrigation scheme. He said that 243 handpumps were installed in Nadaun assembly segment during last four years. He said that various irrigation schemes worth Rs. 14.39 crore were under construction in the area besides a drinking water supply scheme at a cost of Rs. three crore.
Prof. Dhumal assured the people that construction work on Nadaun Community Health Centre would be started soon whereas work on Community Health Centre Kangu had been started. He announced Rs. five lakh for mettling the road constructed in the name of martyr.
Chief Minister distributed 70 sewing machines to landless people under the River Valley Project. The Forest Department had spent Rs. two lakh on these sewing machines. Earlier, Chief Minister performed the foundation stone laying ceremony of Shasheed Smarak at Pakka Bharo to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 35 lakh. Rs. 25 lakh would be provided by the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Corporation for the construction of the Smarak.
Chief Minister said that Rs. 6.46 crore were being spent on system improvement to solve the voltage problem in the area. I.D. Dhiman, Education Minister thanked the Chief Minister for enhancing the budget under SC Sub Plan from 11 percent to 25 percent which had ensured the development of the vulnerable section of the society. He said that various schemes were being implemented for the socio economic upliftment of the scheduled castes and added that scholarships were being given to STs and OBCs besides the general category students. Urmil Thakur, MLA said that Atal Swasthya Sewa had benefitted every section of the society and added that Ambedkar Bhawans were facilitating the people in a big way. Avtar Singh, Pradhan, local Gram Panchayat welcomed the Chief Minister. Pawan Sharma, General Secretary, Kasan Morcha also spoke. Vijay Agnihotri, BJP leader detailed out the developmental activities in the area. Pyare Lal Sharma, Chairman, APMC and State President, BJP Kisan Morcha, M.C. Parmar, Chairman, Ex-Servicemen Corporation, R.S.Mankotia, Chairman, Kangra Central Cooperative Bank, Des Raj Sharma, President, District BJP, Raj Kumar Verma, Mandal President BJP, Raksha Bhardwaj, Chairperson, Panchayat Samiti, Rajender Singh, DC, Kuldeep Sharma, SP, other senior officers and senior party functionaries were prominent among others present on the occasion.
