Unprecedented development in every sector during BJP tenure : Mahender Singh
Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh Thakur said here today that unprecedented development has taken place in every field in Himachal Pradesh during the tenure of the present State Government. He said that the people of the State are grateful to the Central Government and especially to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the State has received financial assistance of thousands of crore rupees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a deep attachment to the state and considers Himachal as his second home. This is the reason that the State has got the facilities of AIIMS, PGI Satellite Centre, Medical Colleges, several National Highways, Atal Tunnel Rohtang and Medical Devices Park and Bulk Drug Pharma Park etc.
He said that the Central Government has decided to provide Scheduled Tribe status to the Hatti community of Sirmaur district. This issue of the Hatti community was pending since 1967. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah played a big role behind this decision. About 1.60 lakh people of Pachhad, Sri Renukaji, Paonta Sahib and Shillai assembly constituencies will be benefited by this decision. He said that keeping in view the interests of the people belonging to the Scheduled Caste they have been kept out of the purview of this decision.
Jal Shakti Minister said that the State Government is providing adequate opportunities for employment and self-employment to the youth. With the objective of making the youth self-reliant, the State Government has opened the doors of employment and self-employment for them by starting many new schemes. Under the State Government’s ambitious schemes like Mukhya Mantri Swavalamban Yojna, Mukhya Mantri Startup, 25 to 35 percent subsidy is being given to the youth to set up their units, which has benefitted thousands of youth of the state.
Mahender Singh Thakur said that thousands of youth of the State would get employment opportunities from the Bulk Drug Pharma Park approved by the Central Government in Una district and the Medical Device Park being set up at Nalagarh in Solan district. Record recruitments have been made by the State Government in various departments.
He said that the Central and State Governments have protected the interests of the brave soldiers of the Army by giving them respect. The Central Government has benefited the ex-servicemen of the country, including thousands of ex-servicemen of Himachal Pradesh, by fulfilling the long pending demand of one rank one pension of the ex-servicemen. Similarly, the Agniveer scheme implemented by the Central Government is also in the interest of the youth, about which great enthusiasm is being seen among them. He said that youth of the state were actively participating in the recruitment rallies being organized at various places in the state under the Agniveer scheme.
He said that four rallies are being organized in the state under the Agnipath scheme. Recruitment rallies are underway in Hamirpur and Kangra and recruitment rallies will be held in Shimla and Mandi. In the recruitment conducted in Hamirpur District, 21881 candidates from Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur were registered and 16547 candidates participated in it. He said that 40485 candidates from Kangra and Chamba districts were registered and 23100 candidates participated in the recruitment rally held in Kangra District. Apart from this, a recruitment rally will be organized in Mandi from 30th September to 9th October, 2022 for which 19200 candidates have registered. 16900 candidates have registered for the proposed recruitment rally at Rampur for Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan and Kinnaur districts from 12th to 18th October, 2022.
Mahender Singh Thakur said that the State Government has given top priority to the interests of the farmers and Horticulturists of the State. In order to provide relief to the horticulturists, it has been decided to reduce the GST tax on apple packaging cartons and boxes purchased after 1st April, 2022 from 18 per cent to 12 per cent. It is estimated to benefit the Horticulturists about Rs 20 crore. The State Government has also made a provision of Rs 10 crore for the Horticulture Department and HPMC in this direction.
He said that after receiving the bills from the farmers and Horticulturists, 6 percent GST amount would be returned to them. The State Government has taken up the matter with the GST Council to increase this tax on horticulture-related packing, grading and equipment to five percent.
Jal Shakti Minister said that a high level committee has been constituted by the State Government to monitor, price, control and improve all CA stores set up in the state. The State Government has submitted a proposal to the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry to increase the import duty for apples from 50 percent to 100 percent and to exclude apples from the list of open general licenses
