Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said that Rs. 321 crore crop diversification scheme would be implemented in Hamirpur, Mandi, Kangra, Una and Bilaspur districts of the State. He was addressing an public meeting at Samirpur in Hamirpur district today after dedicating the school building of Elementary Education constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.40 crore to the people of the area. He also performed foundation stone laying ceremony of combined office building to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.25 crore.
Chief Minister said that State Government was laying emphasis on strengthening the agriculture sector and generating employment and self employment avenues in this vital sector by implementing various ambitious schemes which included Rs. 353 crore Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan Baagwan Samridhi Yojna, Rs. 300 crore Doodh Ganga Yojna and Rs. 321 crore crop diversification scheme were being implemented in the State. He said that 80 percent subsidy was being given for construction of poly houses and sprinkle irrigation under Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan Baagwan Samridhi Yojna. He said that under Doodh Ganga Yojna 25 percent subsidy was being given to general category and 33 percent to SC category under Doodh Ganga Yojna, He said that under Bhed Palak Samridhi Yojna 33 percent subsidy was being given. He said that tangible results were coming out with implementation of these schemes.
Dhumal said that State Government was taking effective steps to tackle the problem of wild animals and monkey menace in order to protect the crops of the farmers. He said that 25 sterilization centres were being set up for checking the growth in the number of monkeys and added that a target of sterilizing two lakh monkeys had been fixed for the current year. He expressed concern over the problem of stray cows and said that it was against our religious sentiments besides cruelty towards the animals. He said that common man was the focal point of the policies and programmes of the Government. He said that every section of the society had been benefitted by the welfare programmes of the Government.
Chief Minister said that the State Government would encourage the JP Group to introduce B.Tech course in the Samirpur Polytechnic so that the students could avail this facility in rural areas from the coming academic session. He said that one ITI was being opened in every assembly segment of the State so that technical education could be imparted to the youth at their door steps. He said that State Government had provided employment to 63,300 educated youth during last four years whereas the previous Congress Government had provided employment to only 3386 youth in corresponding period. He said that due to quality technical education being imparted in the State, all the youth trained in ITI has secured employment. He said that per capita income during 2010-11 had increased to Rs. 58,493 which was expected to increase further during the current financial year.
Ishwar Dass Dhiman, Education Minister thanked the Chief Minister for allocating Rs. 3165 crore budget for the education sector which was 19 percent of the total budget. He said that Rs. 398 crore were allocated for creating and strengthening infrastructure in education sector. He said that the Government had opened 24 B.Ed colleges in private sector during its previous tenure and added that now this course was available for the youth in the State itself.
Anurag Thakur, Member of Parliament and President, National Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha said that State had emerged an education hub and educational institutions of national repute like Central University, IIT, NIFT, ESI Medical College, Hotel Management Institute were imparting quality education to the students. This became possible due to the earnest efforts of Chief Minister, he added. He said that Rs. 400 crore were got sanctioned for the National Highways under Hamirpur parliamentary segment and added he made efforts to expand the railway network in the State. Rakesh Thakur, General Secretary, District BJP detailed out the developmental activities in the area. Phina Singh, Pradhan, local Gram Panchayat welcomed the Chief Minister. Pyare Lal Sharma, Chairman, APMC and State President, BJP Kisan Morcha, R.S. Mankotia, Chairman, Kangra Central Cooperative Bank, Narender Atri, State President, BJYM, Des Raj Sharma, President, District Hamirpur BJP, Rajender Singh, DC, Shri Kuldeep Sharma, SP and other senior officers and party members were present on the occasion.
