Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government had faced significant challenges on political, economic and disaster fronts in a short span of 20 months.
Many conspiracies were hatched to destabilise the democratically elected government through money power, he alleged.
Sukhu was addressing the gathering during a state-level Independence Day function at Shaheed Bhuvnesh Dogra Ground in Dehra, on Thursday.
The CM hoisted the national flag and took a salute from the march past. Paying tributes to the martyrs, he said Himachal Pradesh is home to the country’s first Param Vir Chakra recipient, Major Somnath Sharma, a pride for the state.
On the occasion, Sukhu made major announcements including disbursement of arrears to all pensioners and family pensioners above the age of 75 years.
The CM said while the arrears of employees above the age of 75 years would be given immediately, the arrears of other employees would be paid in a phased manner.
He also said that the claims of the Pong Dam Oustees would be settled under the Forest Rights Act.
Under the Chief Minister Sukh Shiksha Yojana, Sukhu announced a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 for children up to the age of 18 years who are from single-woman households, destitute women, widows and specially-abled parents.
The government will also bear the educational expenses of these children in IITs, IIMs, medical colleges, and for PhD programmes until they turn 27 years.
Terming that the state was grappling with serious economic challenges, Sukhu alleged it was due to certain decisions made by the previous BJP government, which added an additional burden of thousands of crores.
