Land donors to be honoured with name plaques: Minister

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh announced that individuals donating land for the construction of government buildings under his department across Himachal Pradesh will be honoured with plaques bearing their names on the respective structures. An official notification for this decision will be issued soon.

Singh made the announcement during his three-day tour of the Kusumpti Assembly constituency, where he held a series of public meetings in different villages. He said that the contributions of those who serve society must be remembered by future generations.

At a function, Singh honoured Bhup Ram, a local resident who donated eight bighas of land for a Panchayat Ghar. He also announced a grant of Rs 30 lakh for constructing the building’s second floor and Rs 25,000 each for two women’s groups, assuring that other demands of the Panchayat would be addressed soon.

While addressing a gathering in Cheog village, the minister announced Rs 40 lakh for the ongoing construction of the Panchayat Ghar and informed that six roads in the area had received FRA clearance. The Fagu–Dharech road, approved under NABARD, will commence construction by March 2026, he added. Singh directed the Public Works Department to immediately begin metalling the Chhiog market-Chhiog village road.

At Dehna village, the minister said that Rs 55 lakh worth of development work had been completed in the past two and a half years. He also proposed the operation of an HRTC Tempo Traveller service from the Panchayat and instructed the timely completion of the under-construction Panchayat Ghar.

Highlighting administrative reforms, Singh said that before 2023, around Rs 12,000 crore of panchayat funds across the state had remained unspent. He emphasised that budget utilisation must be timely and that no new funds would be released unless the building land is registered in the Panchayat’s name.

During the tour, he also laid the foundation stones for three link roads in Cheog, covering Dehna-Cheog, Chhiog market-Chwog via Domehar and Doran-Khadli, at a total cost of Rs 75 lakh.