CM announces Rs 100 crore for Shiv Dham project, 5% hike in 'nazrana' for deities

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the weeklong international Mahashivratri Mahotsav-2025 at the historic Paddal Ground here today.

Sukhu expressed gratitude to God for rainfall, attributing it to the divine blessings of Lord Shiva in response to the prayers of local farmers. He announced a 5 per cent increase in the nazrana of the deities and a Rs 100 crore grant for the completion the ambitious Shiv Dham project in Mandi. He assured the gathering that the project would be completed within two years and it would become a major spiritual and tourism hub of the region.

The Chief Minister claimed 70 per cent success on the ‘Vyavstha Parivartan’ initiative that the government had launched in December 2022. He said that 25,000 government posts, including 13,000 in the Education Department, would be filled and a new batch of police constables would be recruited.

Sukhu criticised the previous BJP government over the incomplete Shiv Dham project and promised to complete it with freshly allocated funds. He said that the proposed airport project at Balh would be thoroughly reviewed keeping in view the concerns of local farmers.

He alleged, “Jai Ram Thakur had failed to ensure the development of Mandi district during his tenure as Chief Minister and now he was making comments even on my personal family trips”.

The Chief Minister said that Rs 1,800 crore would be spent to modernise medical colleges and healthcare institutions. He also announced a plan for Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools to aid rural education. A unified Directorate of School Education was also being introduced to streamline educational reforms.

As a technological step forward, Sukhu launched the ‘Divyam’ app, designed to monitor the implementation of various government schemes and ensure transparency in the delivery of welfare benefits to eligible citizens.

Earlier, he visited the Raj Madhav Rai temple, the shrine of the region’s principal deity, to offer prayers before participating in the traditional ‘Shahi Jaleb’ procession. He was joined by thousands of devotees, dressed in traditional attire and dancing to the tune of local folk music. More than 200 deities from the region took part in the procession.

MLAs, former ministers, senior Congress leaders, and officials, attended the inaugural function. A mesmerising performance of ‘Dev-Dhwani’ was also presented on the occasion.