Rs 60 crore sanctioned for augmentation of drinking water supply in Palampur: MLA

Local MLA Ashish Butail today criticised BJP leaders for misleading the people by saying that development activities had come to a halt in the past two years in Palampur.

Butail, while addressing the media here today, said at present, development works of over Rs 1,100 crore sanctioned by the Congress government were in progress which include Rs 135 crore sewerage project. The civil works for laying sewer lines had already been taken up by construction companies, he said. Besides, the state government had sanctioned Rs 60 crore for the augmentation of half-a-dozen major drinking water supply schemes, he said.

He said during the BJP regime in 2022, Jai Ram Thakur, the then Chief Minister inaugurated half completed building of the Civil Hospital just two month before the Assembly elections to gain political mileage. He said this building had neither furniture, electricity connections nor elevators. When the Congress government came to power, it provided complete infrastructure and made the new hospital complex operational.

Referring to the functioning of the Municipal Corporation (MC), he said in the past two-and-a-half years, the MC had done commendable jobs like its achievements in the scientific handling of garbage which was a very difficult task. The MC treated 30 lakh tonne of garbage dumps lying here for the past five years. Besides, the MC laid paver tiles on all internal roads and streets in the past two years. The MC had already provided streetlights in 90 per cent of its jurisdiction, the MLA said.

“The Palampur Municipal Corporation has also undertaken the initiative to empower aspiring young minds by conducting free coaching classes for students preparing for prestigious Navodaya Vidyalaya and Sainik School entrance exam. This is a major step of the civic body to bridge the educational gap and provide equal opportunities to students from both government and private schools within the municipal limits,” Butail said.

He said out of 20 students, whom the MC imparted coaching, 16 qualified in the Sainik School entrance test. “This pioneering effort is expected to have a lasting impact on the academic performance of students, inspiring them to strive for excellence and achieve their full potential. The Municipal Corporation deserves commendation for this visionary initiative that not only benefits students, but also strengthens the community’s commitment to education,” Butail asserted. — OC