Himachal Statehood Day: CM Sukhu announces Rs 20,000 each to 200 Mahila Mandals in Dharampur

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], January 25 : Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu conveyed his Statehood Day wishes to the people of Himachal Pradesh during the 54th celebration in Dharampur, Mandi district, an official statement said on Wednesday.
He remembered the immense contributions of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, YS Parmar, in achieving statehood status, it added.
The Chief Minister unfurled the National Flag and received salutes from the police, home guards, traffic police, NCC and NSS cadets, scouts and guides, Ex-serviceman and police band in a commendable march led by Parade Commander IPS (probationer) Gauravjeet Singh.
While addressing a gathering, Sukhu said that it was the first time that Statehood Day was being celebrated and announced Rs 20,000 each to 200 Mahila Mandals in the Dharampur area.
He said that the government aims to establish 6 green corridors by March end this year, ensuring convenient e-charging stations for tourists and locals. In February, 13 charging stations will be operational, with plans to set up a total of 108 stations at identified petrol pumps within the next two months. The Kiratpur to Keylong Green Corridor is already operational, featuring 5 e-charging stations and 3 stations have been set up from Shimla to Bilaspur, he said.
Sukhu said: "E-vehicles are being promoted in a big way in Himachal and the state government has imposed a ban on the purchase of petrol and diesel vehicles in all government departments from January 1, 2024."
Himachal has achieved a milestone by becoming the first state in India to enact a law for orphan children, with 4,000 of them officially adopted as 'Children of the State', said Sukhu.
Sukhu said that for the first time in the state, apples were purchased from growers on a per-kilo rate basis and from this year on, universal cartons would be introduced to secure better prices for them. Along with this, there has been a historic increase in the support price of apple, mango and lemon fruits, he said.
The Chief Minister said that the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme has benefited 1.36 lakh government employees and as a result, 1,150 pensioners in Mandi, who were earlier covered under the NPS, are now availing of the benefits of the OPS.
He said that due to the challenges posed by last year's devastation caused during the monsoon, the government has announced a special relief package of Rs 4,500 crore and has increased compensation manifold. Disaster-affected families of Dharampur sub-division were recently given financial assistance of Rs 6.14 crore, he said.
The state government is implementing English-medium education from class first in the new academic session in all government schools to enhance the quality of education, fulfilling an election promise, said the Chief Minister.
Emphasising the state government's commitment to women's empowerment, the Chief Minister said that the financial assistance under the Widow Remarriage Scheme has been enhanced from Rs. 65,000 to Rs. 2 lakh.
The Chief Minister said that the state government was committed to boosting revenue, adopting measures such as reducing the lease period of government land from 99 to 40 years. The implementation of a new excise policy has resulted in additional revenue of Rs. 846 crore compared to the previous year. To expedite Public Works Department projects, the tender period has been shortened from 51 days to 20 days.
"Nature has blessed this hilly state with natural beauty and to attract and welcome more tourists in the lap of nature, special emphasis is being laid on providing them with better infrastructure and world-class facilities in unexplored tourist places as well," CM Sukhu said.