Upliftment of weaker sections top priority for Himachal govt, says CM
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu the government is also offering a handholding scheme to make the weaker sections of the society become self-sufficient by imparting them training in professional courses and offering financial assistance for the purchase of necessary equipment to start their ventures
The state government is committed to the welfare and upliftment of the weaker sections to create a just and equitable society where everyone has access to opportunities and resources, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said while revealing that the government is offering a grant of ₹1.50 lakh to SC, ST and OBC persons for the construction of houses under Swaran Jayanti Ashray Yojna.
“People whose income is less than ₹50,000 per annum will receive this grant. A sum of ₹17.25 crore has been spent under this scheme during the last financial year benefitting 1,150 houseless persons,” Sukhu said in an official statement.
Sukhu said that the government is also offering a handholding scheme to make the weaker sections of the society become self-sufficient by imparting them training in professional courses and offering financial assistance for the purchase of necessary equipment to start their ventures. “ The government is giving free of cost computer training to children of these weaker sections. The postgraduate diploma and diploma training in computer application is being imparted in 97 centres across the state being run by NIELIT and C-DAC. A stipend of ₹1,000 per month is being given during training and ₹1,500 during six months of proficiency training in government offices and benefitted 3,637 persons during the last financial year,” Sukhu added.
He said that the State Government is also providing up to ₹1,300 for the purchase of tools and equipment and up to ₹1,800 for sewing machines to trained persons of SC/ST and OBC communities whose annual income is below ₹50,000 per annum.
The CM said that the state government is funding education, health, social, economic, skill development, drinking water sports, sanitation and solar energy sector for the minority people. He said that a common centre at Kaza is being constructed with an outlay of ₹12.77 crore. “ 11 projects worth ₹25.45 crore have been approved by the government for the benefit of minorities,” he said.
Sukhu lauds forest corporation
SHIMLA CM Sukhu presided over the 214th meeting of the board of directors of Himachal Pradesh State Forest Development Corporation (HPFSDC) here today and directed the officers to take necessary measures to expedite the disposal of the timber wood stock accumulated in the corporation’s depots so that it could be prevented from rotting.
The CM said that for the first time, the HPFSDC would engage in mining activities from the Beas after obtaining FCA clearance. Additionally, he directed the corporation to blacklist defaulting contractors and initiate recovery proceedings against them besides barring them from participating in future tenders.
He commended the corporation’s efforts for earning profits of ₹2.17 crore during the financial year 2021-22, ₹8 crore during 2022-23 and ₹10.04 crore in 2023-24. He said that 100 van veers would be engaged to address the staff shortage in the forest corporation.
The board of directors gave its approval to grant a bonus to the employees of the corporation for the year 2022-23, benefiting about 227 employees and to increase daily wages to ₹400, benefiting the corporation’s daily wagers.
It was also decided to grant another instalment of 4% DA to all employees from April 1, 2024, and to regularize 80 employees who have completed two years of contractual service.
The corporation also presented a cheque of ₹51 lakh for the CM Relief Fund.