Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said that the credit for Himachal becoming the first state in the country to vaccinate over 99 per cent of the eligible population goes to doctors and paramedical staff, who worked with dedication, and people, who cooperated actively.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated the state as it was about to achieve the target of cent per cent coverage of the first dose of vaccine to the eligible population. He stated this while addressing a public rally after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of 26 projects worth about Rs 100 crore for the Manali Assembly constituency at Baragran in Manali subdivision of Kullu district.
Thakur accused successive Congress governments of doing nothing to strengthen health services and infrastructure in the state. He said that when the pandemic started, there were only two oxygen plants and 50 ventilators in the state but now there were over 12 functional oxygen plants and 800 ventilators. He added that 28 more PSA oxygen plants were being established in various health institutions.
He said that the state government had provided 50 per cent reservation to women in panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies to ensure their active participation in the process of development.
The Chief Minister announced the opening of a Jal Shakti division at Manali, construction of a helipad at Nathan, upgrade of various schools, upgrade and opening of various health and veterinary institutions, increasing the bed capacity of the Civil Hospital at Manali from 50 to 100, Rs 20 lakh for the Baragaon road, Rs 10 lakh each for nine newly curved out panchayats in the Manali Assembly segment and the opening of a gausadan at Manali. He said that the matter regarding the opening of a hotel management institute at Manali would be taken up with the Central Government.
Earlier, Thakur inaugurated projects worth Rs 40.13 crore, including the buildings of educational institutions, roads, bridges and water supply schemes. He laid the foundation stones of 12 developmental projects worth Rs 60.39 crore, including an indoor stadium in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, flood protection work along the Beas (right bank) at Katrain village and the augmentation of various water supply schemes.
Education Minister Govind Singh Thakur thanked the Chief Minister for dedicating developmental projects to the Manali constituency.
source: The Tribune
