Main agenda to develop Himachal Pradesh as tourism capital of India: CM Sukhu

New Delhi [India], December 13 (ANI): Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday that his main agenda for the coming years was to develop Himachal Pradesh as the tourism capital of India.
At a programme in New Delhi on Wednesday, Sukhu said that restoration work was done on a war footing after the destruction caused by the natural calamity and that the state was ready to welcome tourists in all seasons to come.
The Chief Minister detailed his commitment to the people of the state and the focus areas of his government, besides the major decisions and policies framed by the state government.
He said that the foremost priority after taking over the reins of Himachal Pradesh as the Chief Minister was to improve the derailed financial health of the state, adding that he envisaged making Himachal Pradesh the most prosperous state of the country within the next 10 years.
Efforts are being undertaken to ensure proper management of funds and a shift towards improving the financial condition of the state will be witnessed soon, he added.
Three guarantees have been fulfilled in the first year of the government and the rest will be fulfilled in the coming four years in a phased manner, he said.
The Old Pension Scheme (OPS) was implemented with a humane motive so that the lives of the employees after retirement could be secured, said CM Sukhu.
The first phase of the e-taxi scheme has been started under the Rs 680 crore 'Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up Scheme'.
"Under the scheme, the state government was providing a 50 per cent subsidy to the youth for the purchase of e-taxis, and they would also be guaranteed a fixed income besides promoting green energy in the state," he said.
The English medium will be introduced in all government institutions from the next session to improve the quality of education in the state.
"The state government adopted 4,000 orphans as 'Children of the State', making a law the first of its kind in the country for their welfare. We launched 'Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Aashraya Yojana' under which our government is providing proper assistance for the care and higher education of such children till they attain the age of 27 years," he said.
The Chief Minister said that the state government would give Rs 1,500 from January 2024 to all the women of district Lahaul-Spiti who were over 18 years of age.
The promise made to all the women of the state would also be met in a phased manner. The state government will bear the expenses for higher education of children of widows from the next fiscal, he added.
The state witnessed the worst natural calamity during the monsoon season and the state despite its limited resources had announced a special package of Rs 4,500 crore so that the affected people can get relief by claiming adequate assistance, the CM said.
He said that tourists who were stuck in remote areas were evacuated safely, and roads and bridges, which are the lifelines of the hill state, were also restored on war footing.
Principal Advisor (Media) to the Chief Minister, Naresh Chauhan, Resident Commissioner, Meera Mohanty and OSD to the Chief Minister, K S Banshtu accompanied the Chief Minister at the event. (ANI)