Rural Development and Panchyati Raj Minister Jai Ram Thakur preside over the District level Independence Day function at the historic Ridge Maidan at Shimla. During his address he said that Rs. 1388 crore had been spent under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme during past three and half years in the State. He said that Rs. 500 crore had been spent for providing irrigation and land development facilities to the small and margin farmers under the scheme. He said that a target of Rs. 990 crore had been fixed for the current year under the scheme to ensure hundred days employment to the unemployed and creation of basic amenities in rural areas.
Thakur gave away prizes to the meritorious students under Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Merit Award Scheme for meritorious students of Senior Secondary Schools which includes Sonia Malata of Kitarwari Village of Dodrakawar, Mohit Raj of Kotgarh and Jyoti Kumari of Dhami in Shimla District besides best worker Ravi Datt and Brij Mohan who had rendered best services to the people under Atal Swasthya Sewa.
Suresh Bhardwaj and Khushi Ram Balnahata, MLAs, Ganesh Dutt, Vice Chairman, HIMUDA, Councilors of M.C. Shimla and Senior Officers were present on the occasion.
