Dhumal lays foundation stones at Dharamshala

Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, today dedicated and laid foundation stones of a number of projects valued at Rs. 20.15 crore. He laid the foundation stone of Combine office Building estimated to cost Rs. 11,39,50,000, Administrative Block of the India Reserve Battalion Complex estimated to cost Rs. 1,09,30,000, Parking-cum-Commercial Complex at Kotwali Bazar, estimated to cost Rs. 2.47 crore, Indoor Cricket Stadium, estimated to cost Rs. 4.00 crore and dedicated the Administrative Block of the HP Board of School Education, completed at a cost of Rs. 81.45 lakhs and Tourist Reception Centre-cum-Divisional Tourism Development Office, completed at a cost of Rs. 37 lakh to the people of the area.

The Combined Office Building would house the offices of the Deputy Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Additional District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, District Revenue Officer, Tehsildar, Land Acquisition Officer and office of District Planning Officer and other allied revenue offices. The Administrative Block for IRB at Sakoh would accommodate the offices of Commandant, Assistant Commandant, Deputy Superintendents of Police, Library, staff and canteen etc..

Chief Minister said that Rs. 942.31 lakhs would be spent to provide housing facility to the urban poor of Dharamshala town under Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme. He said that 328 dwelling units consisting of two rooms, kitchen and toilet would be constructed and allotted to the eligible urban poor families. He said that Rs. 57.80 crore would be spent under various programmes of the Urban and Local Bodies Department during current financial year. He said that environment improvement of the urban slums, maintenance of the urban local bodies roads, urban infrastructure development for small and medium towns, facilities for improvement of infrastructure and sanitation were some of the major activities being undertaken by the state government besides implementing the central sponsored schemes, Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, Rajiv Gandhi Urban Renewal Facility and Swaran Jayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojna schemes all over the state. He said that funds were no constraint in carrying the developmental activities at a faster pace and need based funds would be made available to Municipal Council, Dharamshala under various programmes of the Urban and Local Bodies Department.

Prof. Dhumal said that the urban population had increased by 17 percent during last one decade and the trend was still continuing creating more towns in the state. He said that 9 per cent of the state population was being administered by 49 urban local bodies and additional statutory and obligatory responsibilities had been entrusted to the Urban Local Bodies under the 74th

Constitutional Amendment. He said that the urban local bodies were expected to carry out urban planning and development besides providing civic amenities to the residents of the towns.

Chief Minister said that the state government would be implementing the 50 per cent reservation to the women in all the panchayati raj institutions including urban local bodies with a view to give fair representation to the women. He reiterated the resolve of the state government to provide quality civic amenities and infrastructure to its citizens. He said that Dharamshala was the second most concentrated town in the state and was on the priority agenda of the state government. He said that Dharamshala being the headquarter of the Tibetan Government in exile headed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama had also emerged a centre of pilgrimage to the international devotees and tourists. He said that keeping in mind the importance of the town the state government had been providing developmental funds generously.

Shri Ishwar Dass Dhiman, Education Minister, Shri Kishan Kapoor, Transport Minister, Smt. Sarveen Chaudhary, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Shri Anurag Thakur, MP Lok Sabha, Hamirpur Parliamentary Constituency and President, HP Cricket Association, Shri Vipin Parmar, Shri B.K.Chauhan, MLAs, Shri Vidya Sagar and Shri Dulo Ram, former MLAs, Shri Ashok Sood, Additional Director General of Police, Shri Ashwani Kapoor, Divisional Commissioner, Shri Ram Subhag Singh, Director of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Shri Balbir Tegta, Director of Urban and Local Bodies, Shri K.K. Pant, Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Shri J.R. Katwal, Director of Information and Public Relations, Shri Rajesh Sharma, Secretary, HP Board of School Education, Shri N.L. Sharma, Chief Engineer, HPPWD and other senior officers were present on the occasion.