Tributes paid to late PM Dr Manmohan Singh

Acknowledging the significant contribution of Dr Manmohan Singh towards the development of Himachal Pradesh, the Cabinet today paid tribute to the former Prime Minister.

The Cabinet, which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, paid rich tributes to the former Prime Minister and observed two-minute silence in his memory. The Cabinet credited him for granting several key projects for Himachal and his unwavering support for the development and specific needs of the hill state.

The Cabinet gave its nod to rename Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) at Fairlawns, near here, as Dr Manmohan Singh Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration.

The Cabinet specifically mentioned the support from the late Prime Minister for key projects in Himachal like the Rohtang Atal tunnel, three medical colleges, the ESIC Hospital at Ner Chowk, IIT, Mandi, IIIT, Una, Kangra Central University and the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Kangra.

The Cabinet observed that Dr Manmohan Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister and Union Finance Minister was transformative. His initiatives such as the Right to Information Act, Right to Education Act, MNREGA, Food Security Act, introduction of Aadhaar card, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and the historic loan waiver for 72 lakh farmers were highlighted as milestones of his 10 years in office.

The Cabinet led by the Chief Minister said that the Indo-US nuclear deal during his tenure was hailed as a strategic achievement with lasting benefits for India. As Union Finance Minister, he was instrumental in pulling the country out of an economic crisis and laying the strong foundation for economic reforms that reshaped India’s financial landscape, they noted.