Himachal today stands as a model of development, says CM Jai Ram Thakur
Shimla: As Himachal Pradesh completes 74 years of its existence on Friday (April 15), Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur extended his heartiest greetings to people of the state and expressed his gratitude for their support in making Himachal Pradesh a peaceful, progressive and prosperous state.
"It was on 15th April 1948, exactly eight months after the Independence of the country, our beautiful hill state came into existence as the centrally administered Chief Commissioner's Province by the amalgamation of 30 small and big hilly princely states. This is a special day to pay homage to the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters of Himachal Pradesh, the valour of its brave soldiers and the people. Besides, it is an occasion to celebrate and to be proud of our rich cultural and traditional heritage and saluting the people for their hard work," Thakur said in an official statement issued on Thursday.
"At the time of formation of the state, there was a huge scarcity of basic facilities in Himachal Pradesh. Due to its difficult geographical conditions and lack of resources, it was a big challenge to take the state forward on the path of development. Basic facilities like drinking water, electricity, roads, educational and health institutions were almost negligible. Despite all odds, the hardworking and honest people of the state played a pivotal role in making Himachal Pradesh a developed and prosperous state," the CM stated.
"After its formation, Himachal Pradesh has made rapid progressive strides and today stands as a model of development amongst big states of the country. On this occasion, I express my gratitude to the founder and first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar for his vision and contribution for initiating development. I also take this opportunity to thank all the former Chief Ministers of the State who led Himachal Pradesh on the path of progress. It was their unforgettable contribution that helped this hilly state to carve out its distinct identity," he said.
Talking about the achievement of his government, the CM said, "With the blessings and support of the people, I have also got the opportunity to serve the state for last more than four years. As soon as our government was formed, we took a resolve to work for the betterment of the state and its people. We have not only fulfilled the promises made to the people by adopting BJP's election manifesto as our policy document but our government launched many welfare schemes and developmental programmes to benefit every section of the society."
"Our government has focused on bringing positive changes in the lives of the people and ensuring rapid and balanced development of the state. Himachal also faced hard times due to Corona pandemic but with the wholehearted support of the people, we were able to control the situation and also simultaneously ensured to maintain the pace of development. The State Government is making every effort to ensure transparent and accountable governance," he said.
"The senior citizens play a vital role in the society and it is our duty to give them due respect. The state government in its very first Cabinet meeting, reduced the age criteria for providing old age pension from 80 years to 70 years without any income limit, which has now further been reduced to 60 years. With this decision, about one lakh people will get the benefit of old age pension this year. The present state government has sanctioned pension to 2.21 lakh people. When the BJP government came to power in the year 2017, about Rs. 436 crore were being spent on social security pension whereas today more than Rs. 1300 crore are being spent on it," the CM said.
