Shimla, April 15 (IANS) To mark the 79th Himachal Day, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday announced Rs 1,500 per month for all eligible women of the remote Kinnaur district and the clearing of gratuity and leave encashment dues of retired Class IV employees.

At the state-level function held in Reckong Peo in Kinnaur, the Chief Minister unfurled the national flag and took the salute of the march past. The parade, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Umeshwar Rana, comprised contingents from the Sixth Indian Reserve Battalion, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the district police and the Second Indian Reserve Battalion (Women).

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister greeted the people of the state and also paid tribute to the first Chief Minister, Y.S. Parmar and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for their contribution to the formation of the state.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced that all eligible women in Kinnaur district will receive a ‘samman nidhi’ of Rs 1,500 under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana. He also announced connecting all government institutions, schools and households in Reckong Peo with a central heating system powered by geothermal energy.

Additionally, he announced Rs 8 crore for connecting Taranda village through a traffic tunnel and the upgradation of High School in Choltu to a senior secondary school with the implementation of the CBSE curriculum. He announced that the Polytechnic College of Kinnaur, currently operating in Rohru, will soon be shifted and made functional in Urni. He said the Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School under construction in Reckong Peo, will be completed within six months.

CM Sukhu said the government is initiating work on the historic 66 KV Pooh-Kaza transmission line project, spanning 125 km with 495 towers, at a cost of Rs 415 crore. This project will benefit approximately 17,500 residents of Kinnaur as well as those in the Spiti Valley. He added that the survey for the 45-km-long Sumdo-Kaza line under this project has already been completed.

The Chief Minister said that due to the efforts of the government, border trade with China via Shipki-La is set to resume from June 1, a significant achievement of the government. The matter of commencing the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Shipki-La has also been taken up with the Union Government, and positive developments are emerging.

CM Sukhu announced the withdrawal of the three per cent salary deferment for Class I and Class II officers. He said the pending gratuity and leave encashment of Class IV employees who retired between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021, will be cleared by May, involving an expenditure of Rs 50 crore.

He said the temporary deferment of 30 per cent and 20 per cent in the salaries of the Chief Minister, ministers, MLAs, the Chief Secretary, the DGP and senior officers will continue.

The Chief Minister also announced that all eligible non-gazetted officers of the state police will be granted one honorary higher rank on the day of their retirement.

“Our government is committed to ensuring respect for police personnel who serve with honesty and dedication. I hope this initiative will infuse new energy into the police force,” the Chief Minister added.

–IANS

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