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‘If required, more affiliated universities will be established’
State education minister Suresh Bhardwaj on Wednesday said more affiliated universities will be established in the state as per requirement.
State education minister Suresh Bhardwaj on Wednesday said more affiliated universities will be established in the state as per requirement.
Responding to a question raised by Mandi legislator Anil Sharma, Bhardwaj said, “As per National Higher Education Mission guidelines, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cluster University should start inter-disciplinary subjects in addition to other subjects, but no time limit has been issued.”
Six postgraduate courses including master of arts in history, master of business administration (MBA), master of science in physics, botany and zoology will start at the Cluster University from the upcoming academic session. However, no inter-disciplinary subjects have been introduced.
‘80 projects executed to promote tourism’
In a written response to a question raised by Naina Devi legislator Ram Lal Thakur, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said, “Eighty projects, which cost around ₹3,172 crore, had been executed to promote tourism in the state and 247 memorandum of understandings (MoUs) worth around ₹17,518 crore had been signed in 2019 during the Global Investors Meet organised in Dharamshala in the tourism sector. The projects will also help provide employment opportunities to the youth.”
The CM said, “Under the Nai Raahein Nai Manzilein scheme, Jhenjheri in Mandi district will be developed as an ecotourism destination, Chanshal valley in Shimla as a skiing destination and Bir Billing in Kangra as a paragliding destination. Apart from this, a ₹45 crore detailed project report (DPR) to develop the Chintpurni Temple under the Central Government’s Prasad Scheme had been sent to the Ministry of Tourism for approval. A DPR worth ₹100 crore had been sent to the Central government to develop different religious places in the state,” he said.
In a written reply to a question raised by Barsar legislator Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, the CM said that as many as 162 children were suffering from thalassemia in the state. He said Kangra had the highest number of patients (72) while Una had a single patient.
He said a test facility for minor patients suffering from thalassemia was available at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla; Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College And Hospital, Chamba; Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda; Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan; Sardar Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Ner Chowk, Mandi and in Government Hospital, Solan.
‘Sahara Yojana helping thalassemia patients’
“Free treatment is being provided to the patients. This includes blood transfusion, chelation therapy and other required drugs. Temporary and permanent disability certificates are being issued. The disease is covered under the Sahara Yojana, through which a financial assistance of ₹2,000 per month is provided to below poverty line families that have an annual income up to ₹4,00,000.”
Responding to Anil Sharma, the CM said, “A new building of the district jail, Mandi, is under construction near Ner Chowk.The estimated construction cost of the jail is ₹25.93 crore, of which ₹2.92 crore have been allocated to HIMUDA. Construction work is in process and will be completed within the next four to five years, after which the jail from Mandi will be shifted to the new premises.”
