Mandi, January 21: Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has set a deadline to provide road connectivity to all panchayats of the state in the next five years as people living in remote areas had to travel long distance to reach any road to avail transportation facility.
The Chief Minister was on a one-day tour in his constituency today to announce development projects for the residents of Seraj constituency, which is being represented by him since long. Addressing public meetings at Bhaatloodhar, Thachi, Panjain and Bali Chowki, he said, “Roads are lifeline of the hill people and I am glad that out of 58 panchayats of Seraj constituency 56 have been provided road connectivity during my previous tenure.”
“My priority is to develop good roads for the comfort of people because I have seen people carrying loads on their backs and walking through tough terrain. I am committed to giving them relief”, he added.
“In the next five years all panchayats of the state will be provided road connectivity and all the villages of Seraj would be linked by roads. That’s for sure. I am grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, who sanctioned as many as 63 National Highways for the state”, he said.
The Chief Minister said that the works on three roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) had been sanctioned and the metalling would on these would begin soon. The sanctioned roads were Rs 90-lakh Somgaad-Chalol road, Rs 11.50-crore Basan-Somgaad road and Rs 2.50-crore Naraingallu-Kuhan-Diddar road. Besides, under state roads projects the Chief Minister announced a sum of Rs 20 lakhs each for Thachi- Dandeli-Somgaad and Thachi- Bijhar roads.
He also announced a sum of Rs 20 lakh for road to Didwaandhar and Rs 5 lakh for Luhri-Panala road.
He also announced grants for Thalout-Kalani, Murah-Ghaneeshar, Upper Sarli-Lower Sarli and Kot-Nallah to Bara-Seri roads. A sum of Rs 10 lakh was also announced for road from Chhakidhar to Dobha via Malachi-Panala.
The Chief Minister that the entire Seraj valley would be developed from tourism point of view and a proposal to this effect was underway. He also announced that science classes would be started at the Government Senior Secondary School, Shaarti, from the next academic session.
Mahendar Singh Thakur, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, said that the credit of making Chief Minister from Mandi firstly goes to the people of Seraj and thereafter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Member of Parliament Ram Swaroop Sharma, Darang MLA Jawahar Thakur and Banjar MLA Surinder Shouri were also present.
Several organisations contributed towards Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. A sum of Rs 51,000 was given by Dev Chunjwala Committee, Thachi, Rs 51,000 by fruit growers association, Panjain, Rs 21,000 by Babita Thakur and Rs 11,000 by staff of the
GSSS, Devdhaar.
Targeting the previous Congress regime, the Chief Minister said that the Virbhadra-led Congress government had laid foundation stones of several development projects without any budgetary provisions and his government had decided to review all the announcements made during the last six months.
Addressing a public meeting at Thachi in Seraj Assembly segment of Mandi district, the Chief Minister said though the previous government had announced a college at Thachi, budgetary allocation was nil. A mere one lakh was announced for the college but when inquired from the Finance Department, there was no such financial concurrence for the same.
He said the government would not work with a biased attitude but will review the decisions of the previous government and see whether the projects announced or posts created were having any budgetary provisions or not and act accordingly.
He announced a sum of Rs 41 crore for a drinking water supply scheme for Seraj constituency from Tirthan Khud, which will benefit the panchayats of Devdhaar, Bali-Chowki, Kau, Mani, Murah and Panjain. He announced a sum of Rs 1.08 crore for re-modelling of Kau-Devdhar water supply scheme and Dhadwaas-Thachi water drinking water supply scheme. He also directed completion of the Rs 64 lakh Shalwaad-Chalot water supply scheme by December.
He said a proposal had been sent to NABARD for providing LWSS to Gram Panchayat Kuklah from Khudaagi Khud which will cost R 5.46 crore.
Irrigation and Public Health Minister Mahinder Singh Thakur said that the water supply schemes under process would be completed at the earliest. He said that the government will look into the proposal of setting up anti-hail guns for protecting crops.
Sourced from tribuneindia.com
