Himachal Pradesh

TWO YEARS OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND INITIATIVES

The present state government in Himachal Pradesh headed by Shri Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, completed two years in office on 6^th March, 2005. This is fifth term of Shri Virbhadra Singh as Chief Minister in the service of the people of the State. The state has witnessed speedy, balanced and alround development under his stewardship. Last two years are also full of initiatives in this direction and fulfillment of promises given to the people on the eve of last Assembly elections.

The development of state, which got setback during previous regime, has been speeded up and given new direction. In its endeavours to give human face to its development that is taking place due to the farsighted policies, the Government has given top priority to social service sector by allocating over 48 percent of the total plan budget for this vital sector during last two years. Special deal has been given to the weaker and vulnerable sections of the society. Development with social justice is the guiding principle on which the Government is working.

Social Security Pension to 28481 new eligible persons @ Rs. 200 per month has been sanctioned in the year 2003-04 thereby benefiting 11,198 aged, 5546 physically handicapped and 11,737 widows to lead a respective life in the society. With this the number of beneficiaries of Social Security Pension in the state has gone up to about 2 lakh.

Himachal Pradesh is one of the few states in the country to have enforced Marriage Registration Act. For the first time in the state, Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities and Kabir Panthi Welfare Boards have been set up to ensure that the benefits of various programmes and schemes launched by the Government for these committee percolate down to them in the right perspective.

Physically handicapped have been given special deal to ensure that they live a respectable life in the society. 69 handicapped persons have been given employment in various departments of the Government. During last two years handicapped students have been given scholarships of Rs. 53 lakh to pursue their studies.

Education, health and road are three important areas which are on the priority agenda of the Government. 400 middle, 111 high and 123 senior secondary schools and one degree college have been opened in the state in the last two years. Hundred of posts of various categories of teachers have been filled during this period. Rs. 50 crore have been spent on construction of school and college buildings for providing additional accommodation. Rs. 532 crores is being spent under Sarvashiksha Abhiyan.

Health Vision _ 2008 is being formulated which envisages specialized medical treatment facilities in the health institutions of the state. Rs. 350 crores is being spent on development of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College of Kangra district. Three Regional Diagnostic Centers are being set up at a cost of Rs. 9 crores in Solan, Hamirpur and Bilaspur.

A plan to connect all panchayats by roads in the next three years has been made and is under implementation. 1500 kms. of roads and 74 bridges have been constructed during the last two years. 1704 kms. of roads have been metalled and 1634 kms. provided the facility of drainage. The work on 600 roads connecting various parts of the state is in progress.

Agriculture development is a priority agenda of the government and a plan is underway to bring 50,000 hectares of area under vegetable production and increase production of off season vegetable to 10 Lac tonnes.

The Revenue Administration is also being strengthened by taking up computerization of land record. Computerization of land records of 8 tehsils have been completed. The work on 69 tehsils/ sub-tehsils is in progress. 136 new veterinary institutions have been opened. 50 veterinary doctors have been appointed in last two years and process to appoint 30 more veterinary doctors has begun. The government has also enhanced the procurement price of wool by 20 percent in the year 2003.

Premium free insurance cover of Rs. 50,000 has been provided to the fishermen of the state. Horticulture Development has been given big boost as Rs. 19 crores have been spent on integrated development of horticulture activities during last two years. Under Rs. 80 crores Horticulture Mission launched in 2003.

New Industrial Policy 2004 has been formulated which envisages 70 to 80 percent employment to the people of Himachal Pradesh. During last two years 4568 industrial units having investment of about Rs. 8869 crores and employment potential of about 1.57 lakhs have been given approval.

An investment of Rs. 5000 crores have been envisaged in IT sector by the year 2011 and IT units have been allowed income tax holidays for first five years and exemption in Sales Tax upto 2007. Steps are afoot to set up a Software Technology Park in Waknaghat in Solan district. A Bio-technological Park is proposed to be set up at a cost of Rs. 9 crores near Kotla-Barog in Sirmaur district.

For speedy exploitation of immense hydel potential about 21000 MW has been identified so far which is about one fourth of the entire country. Out of this only 6045 MW has ben harnessed so far.

New tourism policy is being framed which envisages promotion of rural tourism in the state. Rs. 7.23 crores are being spent on development of Bodh pilgrim centers in the state. The Government has sanctioned various schemes for tourism development of the state amounting to Rs. 27 crores.

Rural Development and Poverty alleviation programme are also being implemented vigorously in the state. Financial Assistance of Rs. 27500 is being give for construction of new houses and Rs. 12500 for converting `Kachha houses' into `Pacca houses' under Indira Awas Yojana. Under this scheme during last two years 4611 new houses have been constructed and work on 1968 is in progress.

As many as 37800 more families have been covered under `Antodya Annapurna Yojana' during last year. Now 1.18 lakh Antodya families are being provided ration at a highly subsidized rates.

For scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, whose annual income is less than Rs. 17000 the financial assistance for construction of houses have been enhanced from Rs. 8000 to Rs. 22000 and for repair of houses from Rs. 4000 to Rs. 10000. 5494 SCs and STs families have been given financial assistance of Rs. 19 crores for starting self-employment ventures. Other Backward Classes Commission has also sanctioned loan amounting to Rs. 3 crores to 336. Other Backward Classes beneficiaries on subsidized rate of interest to start their self-employment ventures.

More than 25028 job opportunities have been created in the government departments. 1.57 lakh in industrial sector and a number of job opportunities in other sectors.

The wages of daily wager have been enhanced from Rs. 65. All part-time workers who have completed 10 years as part-time workers have been converted into daily wagers.

As a mark of respect to the freedom fighters the `Saman Rashi' of freedom fighters has been increased from Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1500 per month. The marriage grant for the daughters and grand daughters of the freedom fighters has been enhanced from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10000 and ex-gratia grant for the last rites of freedom fighters from Rs. 1000 to Rs. 5000. Ex-servicemen are also getting special deal in the matter of rehabilitation.

Homage to Tilka Manjhi

NEW DELHI: Homage was paid to martyr Tilka Manjhi, the tribal peasant revolutionary leader of Paharia and Santhal tribe, at the Public Meeting on 11 February, 2005 in the Secular House, 1, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, under the auspices of Freedom Movement Memorial Committee (a constituent of Institute for Socialist Education). Shri Shashi Bhushan, ex-M.P. presided. Tilka Manjhi, the immensely popular and heroic tribal leader and peasant freedom fighter of Bhagalpur- Santhal Pargana, revolted against the British oppressors. He organized the tribals by sending bark of Sal tree to all the Paharia and Santhal villages and inspired them to wage a long and arduous struggle for the freedom of our country in the second half of the 18th century. He encamped himself in the forest between Sultanganj and Bhagalpur at a place which is now known as Tilakpur which was then located on the route of British-Paharia forces on the way to Bhagalpur and could be used to ambush the Hill Corps which had been raised by the British to repel the tribal uprising. Tilka Manjhi was wounded in the encounter in 1785 near Tilakpur village by a bullet which hit his shoulder. He was captured and brought to Bhagalpur. He was beaten by lashes, tied to a horse and dragged through the bazzar and ultimately, his body drenched in blood, was hanged from a Banyan tree at the Chowk on 13th January, 1785. Tilka Manjhi was a great warrior of freedom who refused to surrender before tyranny of the British empire and preferred death to a life of humiliation and slavery. He led the first tribal peasant uprising and became a martyr in the noble cause of freedom. We pay our homage to him with a sense of national pride and bow our head in salutation to him for his unstinting faith in the freedom of the country and for the sacrifice made by him at the alter of freedom," was said in a resolution passed by Institute for Social Education, general secretary, Shri Daljit Singh Adel.