Jai Ram Thakur made these announcements while addressing the 52nd Himachal Statehood Day here ahead of the coming state assembly polls this year. Chief Minister announced the "Poll freebies" with an eye on election to woo all sections of people.
In his long election-year statehood speech, Jai Ram Thakur preferred to make it a please-all kind of an address while recounting Himachal's 52 years long journey, without raising any finger towards the opposition. He announced the freebies at the end of his speech.
Thakur announced every household which consumes 60 units of electricity will pay no bill, while others who consume 125 units, will pay just a rupee per unit, which was earlier Rs 1.90 per unit, which will benefits lakhs of poor people in the state. He announced a decrease of 20 paise per unit of electricity to the farmers in the state.
He also announced the increase in income limit of social security pension for the eligible pensioners to Rs 50,000 from Rs 35000 that will benefit thousands of eligible pensioners.
For the Sarkari babus, Chief Minister announced 31 per cent DA and new Punjab scales for the pensioners. The new pay scales of state employees will benefit about 2.25 lakh employees and will cost the debt-ridden government Rs 6000 crore per year. The government will listen to each section of employees who think that they have been ignored, he assured.
He announced the Punjab pattern pension scales for the state pensioners that will benefit 1.75 pensioners and will add a burden of Rs 200 crore every year on state treasury. "We will pay 31 per cent DA on line of central government to the state employees that will add a burden of Rs 500 crore on state treasury", Thakur said.
Lauding the efforts of police personnel, Chief Minister announced the constables, who are in service since 2015 will be eligible for the new pay scales as the government has corrected the anomaly. These announcements will be included in the coming Budget session, he added.
Thakur did not make any announcement for the state college and university teachers, who also have been demanding the new 7th UGC pay scales.
Congratulating the people on the occasion at the public meeting here, Chief Minister accompanied by DGP Sanjay Kundu, unfurled Tiranga, inspected and took the salute of the statehood parade presented by HP police, IRB jawans home guards, NCC girls and others which was commanded by DSP Pranav Chauhan in the historic Thodo ground of this town.
Addressing the gathering Jai Ram Thakur said Himachal has become a model for hill development in the country, for it has made long strides in its per capita income, literacy level, horticulture, power sector and other areas for the last 50 years.
He paid tributes to Himachal’s first and founder Chief Minister Dr YS Parmar and his successors, who took Himachal to new heights for last 50 years. Thakur also gave credit to the hardworking people of the state for its all- round development.
He blamed corona pandemic for some more plans, which could not see the light of the day. But he lauded the efforts of employees and people in combating the pandemic in the state.
Under Prime Minister Narender Modi, the state has made great progress that benefit every section as PM treats Himachal as his second home and he left no stone unturned for its development for the last four years, Thakur said. They fought and controlled corona pandemic under Modi's leadership and with help of frontline workers and doctors and officialdom, he added. He said the two ground breaking ceremonies of various projects worth over Rs one lakh crores were conducted under his leadership, he added.
Jai Ram Thakur said he created 412 new gram panchayats in four year tenure that took the total to 3615 panchayats in the state that, in turn, benefitted large population in villages. Himachal has 31.6 per cent literacy rate in 1971, now it is 82.80 per cent that has made Himachal as the most literate state in India, only next to Kerala. Per capita income was Rs 657 in 1971, now it is Rs 1. 82 Lakh, he said.
Himachal achieved 100 per cent electrification long time ago. The state had 671 km road in 1971, now It has a road length of 38000 kms, connecting most villages in the state, he said.
Thakur said he shun politics of vendetta and instead worked on development of Himachal. The government dedicated its very first decision to the elders of Himachal by raising the age limit of social security pension to 70 years that in turn is now giving pension to all elderly people. The government is also giving Rs 1000 pension to women, who attain 60 years age and has launched shagun yojna for the young poor brides. The government gave 1.36 lakh gas chullahs under Ujjawala yojna now each household has LPG gas connection in the state, he said.
He said the government redressed 83 per cent of grievances received on the helplines. The government launched Sahara yojna to help bed- ridden person by transferring Rs 3000 per month in their bank account. Himcare and Ayushman Bharat health schemes have covered each and every section for treatment in the state for the last four years, Thakur said.
He honoured three war widows of Solan District including Dil Kumari Thapa, Savitri Devi and Nirmala Devi on this occasion. Head constable Sandeep Chandel was also felicitated by the Chief Minister who has been awarded Prime Ministers Police Medal for life saving for the year 2018.
