Excelsior Correspondent
BANI, Jan 4: Dy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh, today said that development of the State and progress of the people has acquired primacy during the PDP-BJP coalition and it will be further accelerated.
While addressing “Sushasan Vikas Sankalp Rally” at Bani, Dr. Singh said that the NDA Government at Centre and the State Government having risen above caste and creed considerations and embarked on construction projects of gigantic proportion to change the face of the State completely. Out of Rs 80,000 crore package approved and announced by the Prime Minister for the State, 42,000 crores are meant for roads only, he added.
The major roads planned on priority basis for this region are Duggan-Katli road, extension of Basohli, Bani, Bhaderwah road and making it all weather etc, Dr Singh said adding that new railway line is also being proposed to connect Manwal to Lakhanpur line and as also setting up of 90 Micro Hydel Projects in the State.
He said efforts are being made to revive the defunct 9 MW Seva Hydel Project III. To ensure focused development of the tourism infrastructure in Bani, efforts are being made to setup a Bani Tourist Development Authority. Dr Singh said that election to the local bodies will be conducted in the near future and we are committed to ensure direct link between the local representatives and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi by empowering the Panchayats and local bodies in real sense. Announcing that every house will have electricity in next two years, he asked the party activists to reach the masses and mobilize them for availing the benefits of amnesty scheme.
Minister for Health, Medical Education & ARI Ch Lal Singh in his address said that latest ultrasound machines are going to be made available in Bani Hospital very shortly and provision of critical care ambulance is being made at every 20 km distance in all areas including Bani. He further said that more than 70 percent of the required medicines shall be made available in the Government hospital to the patients free of cost in the future.
State general secretary Ashok Kaul, in his address, said that Bani is a very beautiful place and could have been developed one of the major tourist destination but it remained neglected, which is very unfortunate. District President & MLA Jeevan Lal highlighted the local issues and demanded that people of Kohli caste should be also included in the Schedule Tribes category and all the local Hydel Projects be handed over to NHPC.
BJP State Secretary Mamta Singh, BJYM State President & Rally Incharge Dr Suresh Ajay Magotra, Ex-Distt President Ved Mankotia, district general secretary Inderjit Sharma, Mandal Prabhari Jugal Kishore, Mandal President Thakur Dass also addressed the gathering.