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Himachal: CM Sukhu visits Dodra-Kwar, says will seek OBC status for residents
Dodra-Kwar is the remotest area of Shimla district, which has five panchayats and has a population of 8,000
Making a pitch of “commoner from a village”, chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu reached out to the residents of Dodra-Kwar — the remotest area of Shimla district— during his visit on Saturday and announced to take up the matter of providing other backward classes (OBC) status to the villagers with the Centre.
Kicking off “Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar” programme, the CM said, “The state government would take up the matter with the central government to provide OBC status to the residents of Dodra-Kwar village.” Dodra-Kwar is the remotest area of Shimla district, which has five panchayats and has a population of 8,000.
Sukhu also inaugurated the first ATM in Kwar, which has been installed by Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank, and laid the foundation stones and inaugurated projects worth about ₹12 crore.
On his third visit to Dodra-Kwar, the CM said, “The government is paying special attention to the rural economy because his own background is rural. The state government is making plans to ensure the people of the villages have money in their hands.”
“I am from a village and no one in my family had any political background, so I understand the pain,” said Sukhu.
Taking a jibe at the BJP, the CM said the BJP leaders were repeatedly spreading lies on the guarantees of the Congress party. Ever since “Operation Lotus” failed and the seats of the Congress party increased from 34 to 40, the BJP had been misleading the people by spreading misleading propaganda. He said confusion was being spread about the economic condition of the state and new gimmicks were being given.
He said work was going on at war footing to build a road till Jakha, which would be completed by December this year. The state government would also create a separate Zila Parishad for Dodra-Kwar so that the public representatives could convey the problems of the region to the state government in a better manner. Sukhu announced to give ₹1 crore each for the development of five panchayats of Dodra-Kwar.
The chief minister inaugurated the Gosang-Jiskun road constructed at a cost of ₹5.43 crore and laid the foundation stone of Dodra-Chamdhar road to be constructed at a cost of ₹5.46 crore besides Gosang-Harli road to be constructed at a cost of ₹85 lakh.
He announced to provide ₹4.5 crores for the bailey bridge to connect Uttarakhand, which will provide 12-month connectivity to Dodra-Kwar. He announced to provide full funds for two bridges to be built between Jiskoon and Jakha. He said that the 50 km road to be built from Ladrot to Dodra Kwar would be paved by October 2025. He also assured to provide adequate funds to complete the rest house of Public Works Department being constructed in Kwar.
He launched Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi for Shimla from Dodra-Kwar and released 12 month’s Samman Nidhi to 509 eligible women from 1 April. He released an amount of ₹91.62 lakh to the beneficiary women and ₹45.45 lakh as six month’s pension at the rate of ₹1,500 per month to 505 other women of Dodra-Kwar, who are receiving social security pension. He said under Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi, the state government was providing ₹18,000 per year to illegible women.
Sukhu also inspected the land identified for civil hospital at Kwar and directed to complete it soon.
