DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh is among the best performing states in COVID management, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said Saturday, adding the steps taken by his government have earned the praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as other states.
Speaking after laying the foundation stones of nine developmental projects worth about Rs 43 crore in Fatehpur Assembly constituency of the Kangra district, he said the Congress remained in power for about 50 years in Himachal as well as at the Centre, but there were only about 50 ventilators in the state when the pandemic started.
"I took up the matter with the prime minister and immediately 500 new ventilators were provided under the PMCARES fund for the state. Himachal Pradesh is among the best states in the matter of COVID management. The steps taken by the state government to check the spread of this virus has been appreciated not only by the prime minister, but even by other states," he said.
The chief minister said there was only one oxygen plant in the state, whereas today 10 plants have been made functional and 28 were being established soon. The Fatehpur assembly seat has been lying vacant since the death of Congress MLA Sujjan Singh Pathania in February this year. It will go to bypolls soon.
Presiding over the 'Labharthi Sammalen' (beneficiary congregation) of various state government scheme, he announced several schemes and initiatives including the opening of a sub-tehsil at Rae, upgrading Barot High School to a government senior secondary school, channelisation of Nagoh and Kundal khuds and Rs 10 lakh for retaining wall at Guru Ravi Dass temple complex.
He also announced Patwar Circle at Nangal, the start of MA Hindi and M Com classes at Wizar Singh Degree College Dehri (Fatehpur) and upgrading the college as a post-graduate college. He announced Rs 2 crore for link roads and other works of the area which include the link road from Diana to Kulala in GP Diana.
He laid the foundation stones of Rs 7.49-crore flood protection work in Fatehpur Khud, two tube wells, three water supply schemes and Fatehpur Bazar area in tehsil Fatehpur. He also provided benefits to the beneficiaries of various welfare schemes on the occasion.
He also announced the construction of Saheed Samarak at Fatehpur, upgrading police post Fatehpur to police station, Rs 10 lakh for the construction of Press Club Fatehpur and making CHC Rae a 24x7 facility.
Forest Minister Rakesh Pathania said it was the right time for the people of Fatehpur to wake up and join hands to support the policies and programmes of the state government.