Shimla, April 15 (PTI): Chief minister Virbhadra Singh on Saturday launched an ‘unemployment allowance scheme’ and decided to regularise contract employees after three years in service, instead of the present period of five years.
Singh made this announcement at the state level function at Chamba on the occasion of the 70th foundation day of Himachal Pradesh.
Chief minister who unfurled the tricolor and took salute at impressive march past, formally launched the scheme by distributing cheques of Rs 1,000 each to ten beneficiaries.
He said all the contractual employees who have completed three years of uninterrupted service would be regularised.
Singh said the state government has decided to provide unemployment allowance of Rs 1,000 per month to youth having intermediate or above qualification where as the unemployed youth with disability would be given Rs 1,500 per month.The state government was giving added priority to skill development of unemployed youth to raise their level of employability, he said, adding that Rs 500 crore skill development scheme had been started by the government.
He said that so far skill development allowance had been provided to 1,52,000 youth.
‘Kaushal Vikas Nigam’ had also been setup to implement Rs 640 crore Asian Development Bank (ADB) assisted Skill Development Project to upgrade skill infrastructure and provide employment to around 65,000 youth.
The Chief Minister said numerous measures had been taken under social welfare schemes and as many as 3,89,168 persons were being provided social security pension of Rs 650 during the last four years, which had been further enhanced to Rs 700 per month from 2017-18 and an outlay of Rs 410 crore had been made for it.
The assistance under Mother Teresa ‘Matri Ashraya Sambal Yojana’ has been enhanced from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000.
The CM said the 42 colleges were opened during past four years in the state, raising the number of government degree colleges to 119.
He said that as many 3,138 panchayats out of total 3,226 had been connected with motor-able roads and work was in progress to connect the remaining 74 panchayats.
Over 2,000 kms new roads and 204 bridges were constructed providing road connectivity to 864 villages, h said adding that the total road length in the state has crossed 37,000 Km.
The Chief Minister said efforts were being made to ensure better health care facilities to the people at their door- steps and 21 Civil Hospitals, 34 CHCs, 96 PHCs and 29 Health Sub-Centres had been opened in the state during the last four years.
He also distributed agricultural tool kits, solar lights and water purifiers to the beneficiaries.
The CM also presented State level Himachal Gaurav, Prerna Srot, Civil Service and Innovation awards.
He honoured Dr Krishan Lal Sehgal with Himachal Gaurav Award in field of folk music. Dr Rajinder Verma commandant of 17th battalion of Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) was also awarded.
The Chief Minister conferred State Level Civil Service Award on Shimla district administration, which was received by Deputy Commissioner, Rohan Thakur.
The ‘Prerna Srot’ awards were conferred on Dinesh Sood, Lecturer in GSSS, (Boys), Nahan of Sirmaur district.
Under the State Innovation Award Scheme, Dr Kamal Sharma from Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni in Solan district was presented a cheque of Rs 10,500 for introducing new commercial crop with early bearing technology and improved genotype for economic cultivation in monkey inhabited areas.
Dr Sanjeev Thakur of the Parmar varsity was also awarded.
Dr Sudhir Sharma, Associate Professor, department of Neurology, IGMC, Shimla was presented a cheque of Rs 21,000 for HP Tele-stroke project.
Punam Ghai of RR Enterprises for ready-to-cook spice-mix, and Principal DIET, Mandi and Director Town and Country Planning, Himachal Pradesh for e-service project were also awarded with Rs 21,000 each.
The DSP, Dalhousie, Sagar Chand was awarded for commendable services for ceasing haul of drugs, Jeet Singh Executive Engineer HPPWD, Chamba, for his exemplary work, DPO, ICDS, (Child care), Kapil Sharma for playing a pivotal role in prohibiting child marriages.
