Himachal govt to mark three years in office on Dec 11: Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan highlights achievements

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 13 (ANI): The Himachal Pradesh government will complete three years in office on December 11, and a special programme will be organised to mark the occasion, Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said on Thursday.
Speaking to ANI, the minister said the government's three-year tenure had been "challenging yet productive," especially due to the natural calamities that struck the state during this period.
"It is true that our three-year term will be completed on December 11, and a programme will be organised to mark the occasion. These three years have been full of struggle, particularly because of the natural disaster that struck the state," Chauhan said.
The minister highlighted that despite financial challenges, the state made significant provisions for disaster relief, employee welfare, and social support programmes. "Earlier, the compensation for a completely damaged house was only Rs 1.5 lakh; we raised it to Rs 7 lakh. The relief for partially damaged houses and for loss of livestock has also been more than doubled," he said.
Chauhan noted that the government had fulfilled its major pre-election promise by restoring the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to 1.35 lakh employees, describing it as a "landmark welfare decision."
He also mentioned the 'Sukh Aashray' scheme, under which orphaned children are being supported by the state government.
"Under the Sukh Aashray scheme, orphaned children up to the age of 27 are being taken care of in every aspect--from food and shelter to education. They have been declared as 'Children of the State", he added.
The minister stated that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government was working to make Himachal Pradesh a self-reliant and environmentally friendly state, with a focus on strengthening the rural economy.
Among the major development projects, he cited the expansion of Kangra Airport and its declaration as the Tourism Capital of Himachal Pradesh as key achievements.
"Despite the financial challenges, we are working to make Himachal a self-reliant state. The expansion of Kangra Airport and declaring Kangra as the tourism capital are major milestones," Chauhan said.
Criticising the previous BJP government, Chauhan alleged that jobs were sold for money and corruption was rampant. "During the BJP's tenure, jobs were sold for money, and corruption was widespread. We have stopped that practice and provided employment to nearly 30,000 people in the government sector," he asserted.
On disaster management, the minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced Rs 1,500 crore in relief for the state, but the funds had not yet been received. "The Prime Minister had announced Rs 1,500 crore for disaster relief, but the money has not yet come," Chauhan said.
Responding to questions about the postponement of Panchayati Raj elections, the minister clarified that elections were not being cancelled but could be deferred for a few months due to the disaster's impact.
"There is no question of cancelling Panchayati Raj elections. They will be held on time once the situation returns to normal. The government's priority right now is to restore what was damaged by the disaster," Chauhan said.
He reiterated that once normalcy is restored, the elections would be conducted as per schedule. (ANI)