Govt working to strengthen rural economy of state, says CM Sukhu

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu — on the second day of his winter sojourn in Kangra today — inaugurated various developmental projects in Jawali Assembly constituency represented by Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Chander Kumar.

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While addressing a public rally in Jawali today, the CM said that the government was working to strengthen the rural economy of the state. For this, the government has increased the purchase price for cow milk by Rs 15 per litre in the past two years. Cow milk was now being procured at Rs 45 per litre in the state.

The state has also provided minimum support price for maize grown through natural farming in the state. The government was purchasing maize grown through natural farming at Rs 30 per kg. Both the schemes are aimed at strengthening the rural economy of the state, he said.

The CM said that the previous government has given subsidies worth Rs 5,000 crore to the rich in the state which would have added financial burden on Himachal. Many subsidies were given to big hoteliers in the state.

The present government has withdrawn the subsidies given to ultra rich in the state. The subsidies are the right of the poorest of the poor in the state and should not be given to the rich, he said.

He said that after he announced that people should voluntarily give up power subsidy, about 1,000 people in the state have come forward to do so. Many more are coming forward for this move of the government. The state would use the money saved from subsidies for the rich to benefit the poor in the state, he said.

He urged the people of rural areas to give Rs 100 per month as water bill so that clean water could be provided to them.

The CM said that the present government was striving to increase resources and the income of the state. In the first year of its rule, the government — by plugging loopholes in excise policy — earned Rs 600 crore from liquor vend auction. The previous BJP government had earned just Rs 150 crore per annum from selling liquor vends, he alleged.

Meanwhile, the CM today inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 15 developmental projects worth Rs 184.33 crore for Jawali Assembly constituency.

He laid the foundation stone of a bridge to be constructed on Gajj Khad at a cost of Rs 86.34 crore. It will reduce the distance between Jawali and Nagrota Suriyan by 7 km. He laid the foundation stone of Rajiv Gandhi Government Day-Boarding School to be constructed at a cost of Rs 5 crore at Thangar.

He inaugurated the Urban Water Supply Scheme, Jawali, constructed at a cost of Rs 15.76 crore and laid the foundation stone of the water drainage scheme to be constructed at a cost of Rs 36.55 crore in Nagrota Surian. He also inaugurated the Wildlife Information Centre built at Basa at a cost of Rs 3.2 crore.

The CM — at the request of Chander Kumar — announced the upgrade of the Kotla police post to a full-fledged police station. He also declared the commencement of science classes at Government Senior Secondary School Siddhpur Ghad and Trilokpur Bari and medical classes at Government Senior Secondary Schools Amlela and Paloda. He assured adequate funding for a multipurpose sports ground in Jawali.