Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj Friday praised the Jairam Thakur government, saying it has boosted the pace of development and brought “unprecedented development” to the hill state.
“Unprecedented development has taken place under this government because we understood the pain of urban areas,” he said, adding that the BJP-led government has done “more than it had promised in its manifesto.” He said that this government has prioritised ease of living for the people of the state.
Bhardwaj hit out at Congress, accusing it of not doing enough to develop the state. He said there was only one municipal corporation but now there are five, besides Nagar Panchayats and City Councils.
“The development of smart cities gained pace under this government. A total of 19 Dharamshala Smart City projects have been completed and Rs 315 crore have been spent. However, until 2018, only four projects were completed, and only Rs 11.54 crore was spent. Other than this, 57 components and 159 pipeline projects of the Shimla Smart City have been completed,” he said.
The minister thanked the Central Government for supporting the state in urban development. “The Central Government has helped us immensely. We thank the Prime Minister for helping us,” Bhardwaj said. He then outlined the benefits of government schemes such as the Mukhyamantri Shahri Ajivika Guarantee Yojana and the Biswa Yojana. “The Amrit Mission has strengthened the water and sewerage system in the state. We have provided land to the poor so they can make houses. We have provided them 120 days of guaranteed employment.”