Bilaspur, April 15. The 78th Himachal Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm on Monday at the Chief Minister's Model Government Senior Secondary School (Boys), Bilaspur. The district-level main function was presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Vinay Kumar. Prior to the ceremony, he paid floral tributes to the martyrs at the Shaheed Memorial, hoisted the national flag, and took the salute from the grand parade.

In his address, Deputy Speaker Vinay Kumar stated that the State Government is working with the goal of making Himachal a Green Energy State by 2026, a Self-Reliant State by 2027, and the most prosperous State in the country by 2032. He highlighted that six out of the ten guarantees promised before the elections have already been fulfilled, and work on the remaining ones is progressing rapidly.

Welfare Schemes for All Sections of Society

Vinay Kumar shared that Minimum Support Price is now being provided for rural products, and the incentive amount given to milk societies has been increased to Rs 3 per litre. Women are being provided with an honorarium of Rs 1,500 per month. Daily wages and MGNREGA wages have seen significant hikes. Under the Mukhyamantri Sukh-Aashray Yojana, 6,000 orphaned children have been adopted and are being provided with comprehensive care. The Old Pension Scheme has been restored for 1.36 lakh employees. Over the past two years, 42,000 youth have been given government jobs, and a target of 25,000 more employments has been set for the current year.

Strengthening Health, Education, and Infrastructure

The Deputy Speaker mentioned that modern facilities are being provided in medical colleges and hospitals at a cost of Rs 1,730 crore. English-medium education has been introduced, and Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools are being established. Bilaspur district is also advancing rapidly in the tourism sector. Activities like cruise, shikara, house boating, parasailing, and jet-skiing have started in Gobind Sagar Lake and the Kol Dam area, aiming to develop the district as a hub for water sports.

Key Development Works in Bilaspur

An amount of Rs 4 crore has been spent on the City Livelihood Centre and Rs 2.5 crore on the Model Career Centre in Bilaspur. Social security pensions worth Rs 86 crore have been distributed to 49,000 pensioners. More than Rs 52 crore has been spent under MGNREGA, and Rs 20 crore has been utilized under various housing schemes. 58 kilometers of new roads have been constructed, and 93 kilometers of roads have been upgraded. The Jal Shakti Department has sanctioned 37 schemes worth Rs 500 crore, out of which 15 have been completed. Under the Mukhyamantri Swavalamban Yojana, loans worth Rs 18.32 crore have been sanctioned to 88 units.

Felicitation of Freedom Fighters' Families and Distinguished Officers

The Deputy Speaker honored freedom fighter Sahaj Ram and Prem Devi, President of the Freedom Fighter Organization, along with several family members of freedom fighters.

Officers and employees were also felicitated for their exemplary services, including Superintendent Engineer Jeet Ram Thakur, Assistant Commissioner Narendra Ahluwalia, BDO Babita Dhiman, Assistant Tourism Officer Ritesh Patial, Himurja Project Officer Kartar Singh, Assistant Professor (English Department, Bilaspur College) Namrata Pathania, and from the Deputy Commissioner's office – Chandan Rathore, Pradeep Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, and Vivek Chauhan.