Of total 10 guarantees, 7 fulfilled: CM

A massive Jan Sankalp rally was held at Paddal Ground in Mandi today to mark three years of the present Himachal Pradesh Government, drawing thousands of people from across the state and turning the venue into a vibrant celebration of governance and public participation.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, addressing the gathering, said of the 10 guarantees made during the Assembly elections, seven had already been fulfilled. A major promise fulfilled, he said, was the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for 1.36 lakh employees in the very first Cabinet meeting. However, this decision, he noted, led to the Centre restricting Himachal’s borrowing limit by Rs 1,600 crore, resulting in a financial loss of Rs 4,800 crore over three years.

Focusing on youth empowerment, Sukhu highlighted the launch of the Rs 680-crore Rajiv Gandhi Start-up Scheme, aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. English-medium education from Class 1 in all government schools was also introduced as part of the government’s guarantee.

To uplift the rural economy, the state offered the highest Minimum Support Price (MSP) on milk in the country—Rs 51 per litre for cow milk and Rs 61 for buffalo milk. The government also began purchasing cow dung at Rs 300 per quintal.

Himachal became the first state to implement a universal carton packaging system and to formulate a comprehensive horticulture policy, he said.

He said that the past three years of his government were dedicated entirely to public welfare, financial reform and strengthening systems to make Himachal Pradesh prosperous, green and self-reliant. He emphasised that every policy initiative focused on strengthening the state’s economy and improving the lives of youth, farmers and vulnerable groups.

Sukhu said the government had provided 23,200 government jobs in three years—more than what the previous BJP government delivered in five. He also listed major social welfare steps, including adopting 6,000 orphaned children as “Children of the State” under the Mukhyamantri Sukh-Ashraya Yojna and offering free education under the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojna to children of widows, destitute and specially-abled parents. Himachal’s national education ranking improved from 21st to fifth during this period. CBSE curriculum has been introduced in 100 government schools and 20 Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools are being set up across constituencies. In the health sector, robotic surgery was introduced for the first time at AIMSS Chamyana and at Tanda Medical College. The government is investing Rs 3,000 crore in modernising health institutions.

Himachal Congress in-charge Rajani Patil praised the state government’s achievements and said most of guarantees have been fulfilled by state government.

HPCC president Vinay Kumar criticised BJP MP Kangana Ranaut for her absence during disasters. He said that party would be strengthened in the state. A coffee-table book documenting three years of development work was released and freedom fighters, gallantry awardees and sportspersons were honoured.