State Government would explore possibilities of creating adequate drinking water facilities to devotees visiting the shrine of Baba Balak Nath, Deothsidh from different parts of the country and abroad round the year and 15 hand pumps would be bored to meet the requirement of drinking water for the people visiting the shrine. This was stated by Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, while addressing a public meeting at Bijhari in Barsar Sub-Division of district Hamirpur, after dedicating newly constructed sports stadium completed at a cost of Rs. 77.54 lakh, Motorable Bridge on Maan Khad, completed at a cost of Rs. 268.80 lakh,Armar Mandir-Barsar-Loharwin road, completed at a cost of Rs. 182 lakh to the people of the sub-division. He also performed foundation stone laying ceremony of Barsar Bus Stand, estimated to cost of Rs. 2.44 crore.
Chief Minister said that vocational education was the need of the hour and every educated youth was required to be equipped with one or the other skill which would ensure them employment and self employment. He said that three new trades of motor mechanic, refrigeration and air-conditioning and cutting and tailoring courses would be added in ITI Bani. This would benefit the youth of the area immensely. He said that Rs. 77.54 lakh was provided in advance for Bijhari Sports Stadium had come up in an impressive manner.
Prof. Dhumal said that the State Government during its present term made sincere efforts to provide relief to every section of the society irrespective of their social and economic status. He said while the domestic power tariff was rising in the country, Himachal Pradesh Government was providing electricity to BPL families at 70 paise per unit and APL at Re. 1.00 per unit, which was cheapest in the country. He said that the State Government was subsiding domestic power by paying Rs. 190 crore to the State Electricity Board so that the gap between the rates being charged from the domestic consumers and the rate fixed by the State Regulatory Commission would be bridged. He said that Himachal Pradesh happened to be the only state which was providing essential commodities to every ration card holders at subsidised rates for which the State Government was paying Rs. 140 crore annually.
Later Chief Minister also laid foundation stone of motorable bridge over Gwarad Khad to be completed at a cost of Rs. 360.54 lakh and dedicated Science Block constructed at a cost of Rs. 56.50 lakh at GSSS, Maharal and Bridge over Makkan Khad, completed at a cost of Rs. 55.26 lakh, to the residents of the area.
Education Minister Ishwar Dass Dhiman said that Hamirpur ranked at the top in road density in the state and thanked former Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee for launching PMGSY to connect villages with mainstream. He said that Himachal had pioneered the free school uniform scheme under Atal School Uniform Yojna at a cost of Rs. 65 crore. He said that stitching charges would also be paid at the rate of Rs. 100 per uniform. He said that state was spending Rs. 19,000 on each student, which was higher to many states of the country. He said that learning level in the State was 84 percent, highest in the country and State had 99.7 percent registrations in school. He said that Rs. 3419 crore, 19 percent of state budget, had been earmarked on education and allied activities for current financial year.
Baldev Sharma, local MLA, welcomed the Chief Minister, to his home segment and thanked him for dedicating developmental projects worth several crores of rupees to the people of the area. M.C.Parmar, Chairman cum Managing Director, Ex-Servicemen Welfare Corporation, Rasil Singh Mankotia, Chairman, Kangra central Cooperative Bank and other senior officers and prominent people of the area were present on the occasion.
