Paonta Sahib to have degree college

Tribune News Service

Solan,February 22

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said he neither used derogatory remarks, nor criticised anyone as it was the BJP which was adopting such tactics. Though there were differences in their ideology, yet the criticism should be healthy.

In an obvious reference to the BJP’s Nahan MLA, he said a few people of the area had been misguided. He, however, hoped that the people would have realised now that only the Congress government could bring development.

He was addressing people at Bharoli in Paonta Sahib on the concluding day of his three-day tour to the district.

He also laid the foundation stone of government degree college at Bharoli (Aanjbhoj) and said the state now had 119 colleges. His government was not biased against opening educational institutions even in the constituencies represented by BJP MLAs and all 10 colleges in Sirmaur district had been opened by the Congress.

Commenting on politics revolving around various shades of Himachali caps worn by Congress and BJP leaders, he said he had many friends in the BJP who wear maroon caps, yet vote for the Congress. He said the BJP had started politics on petty issues such as wearing of Himachali caps while he had even taken oath of Chief Minister wearing a maroon cap.

Differences based on the colour of the cap created a cultural divide between communities and people and the Congress always desisted from such petty politics, he said.

On the last day of his tour to Sirmaur, he inaugurated a 330/11 KV substation at Badripur with an outlay of Rs 4.86 crore and water supply scheme at Kunja Matralion.

He also inaugurated Rs 3.76 crore worth 33/11 KV substation at Rampurghat and water supply scheme at Taruwala with an outlay of Rs 1.78 crore. During the three days tour to the district, the Chief Minister dedicated projects worth Rs 60.12 crore to the public.

He also announced the upgrade of Public Health Clinic, Rajpur, to Community Health Centre with 30-bed facility. Besides, PWD subdivision Rajpur would be reorganised. Paonta Sahib, MLA, Kirnesh Jung, earlier welcomed the CM.

Others present included Chairman, Employment Generation and Resource Mobilisation, Harshvardhan Chauhan, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Vinay Kumar, Vice-Chairman, State Planning Board, Gangu Ram Musafir, Chairman, HIMFED, Ajay Bahadur.