PM Narendra Modi lauds efforts of Himachal CM during Covid-19 pandemic

SHIMLA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded the performance of Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He credited Jai Ram Thakur along with BJP national president J P Nadda for convincing him to hold the event to mark the completion of eight years of the NDA government in Shimla.
Narendra Modi said that discussion was going on where to hold the program and what type of program should be held during which he received two suggestions from Thakur and Nadda and he promptly said yes to it.
Though he refrained from making any announcement for the state, but he did not fail to mention his association with the state. He said that suggestion to be in Himachal Pradesh for “Gareeb Kalyan Sammelan” in Shimla was accepted by him with promptness as the State has been his Karambhoomi.
In the beginning of his speech, Modi addressed Jai Ram Thakur as popular and dedicated chief minister and his old friend. He said that Covid pandemic, state government led by chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has done commendable job.
He said being a tourist destination, Jai Ram Thakur ensured that tourism sector does not suffer much so he carried out vaccination drive at war footing. He said that in the country, Jai Ram Thakur led government was among the front runners to complete the vaccination drive.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur while welcoming the Prime Minister, thanked him for choosing Shimla for organizing the ‘Gareeb Kalyan Sammelan’. He said that the state has immensely been benefitted by the benevolence of the Prime Minister. He said that it was due to his affection towards the State and its people, that Himachal Pradesh has got central schemes worth more than Rs 10,000 crore during the last four and a half years.
He said that the special status of the state has been restored, due to which the State was now getting financial assistance on the ratio of 90:10 for various Central schemes. It was due to the blessings of the Prime Minister that the State got special central assistance of Rs 800 crore during last few months, he added.
Jai Ram Thakur said that AIIMS has been opened in Bilaspur and Medical colleges opened at Hamirpur, Nahan and Chamba and this was possible only with the financial support of the Central Government. He said that state government organized Global Investor Meet in 2019 at Dharamshala which was graced by the Prime Minister.
He said that till date, more than Rs 50,000 crores have been invested in the State, out of which the ground breaking ceremony of Rs 28,197 crore was inaugurated by the Prime Minister himself in a program organized at Mandi on December 27 last year.
He said that Prime Minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of projects of national importance, worth Rs 11,000 crores. He said that State has also succeeded in getting approval of a Medical Device Park from the Government of India. He said that an investment of Rs 5,000 crore would be made in this Medical Device Park to be built in Nalagarh which would provide employment to over 10,000 youth of the State.
Jai Ram Thakur said that like the four states which had gone to polls recently, BJP government in the State would also ensure Mission Repeat and come into power in the 2022 assembly elections as people have full faith in policies and programmes initiated by the central and state governments.