But for rain fury, all promises would’ve been fulfilled: Himachal Dy CM Mukesh Agnihoitri

Una, JANUARY 30

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihoitri today said that had the state not endured the natural disaster during the last monsoon season, all guarantees given by the Congress to the people of the state would have been fulfilled. He was speaking at Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar programme organised at Basal village of Kutlehar Assembly segment.

EMPLOYEES’ RECRUITMENT SOON

• Women of the state would receive a monthly pension of Rs 1,500 shortly
• The other guarantees will also be fulfilled in phased manner.
• Work on a drinking water scheme estimated to cost Rs 44 crore for Bangana area in Kutlehar segment underway.
• 10,000 employees will be recruited in the Jal Shakti Department
• As many as 350 conductors and the same number of drivers would be recruited in the HRTC.

Agnihotri said the government had to divert Rs 4,500 crore immediately to provide relief to the victims of disaster besides repair and restoration of public infrastructure. He said the previous BJP government had pushed the state under huge financial debt. Despite this, he said the women of Himachal Pradesh would receive a monthly pension of Rs 1,500 shortly and other guarantees would be fulfilled in a phased manner.

The Dy CM, who also holds the Jal Shakti ministry portfolio, said drinking water and irrigation schemes worth hundreds of crores of rupees were at various stages of completion in the district to mitigate the scarcity of drinking water and to provide irrigation to remote farm lands, adding that the work on a drinking water scheme estimated to cost Rs 44 crore for Bangana area in Kutlehar segment was underway. He said 10,000 employees would be recruited in the Jal Shakti Department and all lift irrigation or drinking water schemes would have at least one employee.

Agnihotri, who is also in-charge of the Transport Department, said 350 conductors and the same number of drivers would be recruited in the HRTC. Besides, he said 175 new routes under ‘Sewa Darshan’ program to foster tourism to the state’s religious places are being initiated, which will include 50 new routes to Haridwar and 6 to Ayodhya from different parts of the state.

At the Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar program, 38 public grievances and 45 demand papers were received. He gave away fixed deposit certificates amounting to Rs 21,000 each to six beneficiaries of the Beti Hai Anmol scheme. Twelve women self-help groups were given flour mills, sewing machines, agriculture spray pumps and agriculture equipment.

Earlier, Agnihotri laid stones of development works estimated at Rs 4.19 crore in Kutlehar segment including inauguration of an office of the Assistant Engineer of Jal Shakti department at Basal and foundation stone of a Panchayat Bhawan in Una city besides a drinking water scheme at Jhalera. Kutlehar MLA Davinder Singh Bhutto, DC Raghav Sharma and SP Arijit Sen Thakur were also present.