Good governance, service delivery a priority: Jai Ram

A day after he presented the State Budget to the Assembly, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday said this was aimed at improving service delivery by providing good governance to the people.

Addressing a public meeting at in Seraj Constituency of Mandi district, the Chief Minister said transforming rural farm sector and horticulture, ensuring employment generation, restoring law and order, providing housing facility to homeless, controlling and breaking down on drugs, mining and forest mafia, providing quality education and providing affordable and quality health services etc. were the main features of the Budget.

Besides, the focus had also been given women empowerment, promoting investment by simplifying the procedures and re-vitalise the hydro, tourism and trade sectors.

Thakur said the State Government had enhanced the number of days for providing employment under MNREGA from 100 to 120 days. The daily wages had been increased to Rs 225 besides the honorarium of water guards had been increased from Rs 1700 to Rs 2100 per month and it had also been proposed to provide an additional honorarium to Aanganwadi workers to the tune of Rs  1750. Besides, the Budget also proposes to raise the incentive to ASHA workers from Rs 1000 to Rs 1250.

The Chief Minister said that the Government would encourage active participation of local people, NGOs, Panchayats, temple trusts and charitable organisations to strengthening the existing Gau-Sadans and opening new ones to house and feed the stray cattle. He said that HP Religious Endowments and Temple Trust Act would be amended to ear mark 15 percent of offerings in the temples towards construction, maintenance and running of Gau-Sadans.

He said that even the former Chief Minister personally praised him for the Budget which incorporated all the sections of the society and all the sectors including the youth, agriculturalists, horticulturalists, Women, girl child, etc.

The CM earlier laid foundation stone of civil hospital at Bagsiad to be completed with an outlay of Rs 27 crore.