2.42 lakh women will get a pension of Rs 1500 per month: Sukhu

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu today launched the Indira Gandhi Pyari Mahila Samman Nidhi Yojana at Keylong, the district headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti. Under this scheme, a pension of Rs 1500 per month will be provided to all women above 18 years of age in district Lahaul-Spiti. He inaugurated the BDO office in Udaipur of district Lahaul-Spiti, opened of Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding School in Darcha, started of sewerage scheme and water drainage scheme in Keylong, and planning for the beautification of the city, primary health center in Tindi and animal husbandry in Madgran. Announced the opening of the department’s dispensary. He said that schools in Lahaul-Spiti district will remain open in summer and there will be holidays in winter.
Starting his speech by saying ‘Jule’, the Chief Minister said that even in -9 degree temperature, local people have come to participate in the program and he is happy to see the enthusiasm of the people. The Chief Minister said that the state government is fulfilling all its guarantees in a phased manner. He said that the state government had celebrated the first Himachal Day at Kaza in Spiti Valley and announced to provide Rs 1500 per month to women above 18 years of age.
The Chief Minister said, ‘Today I have come to fulfill my promise. Along with starting the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Samman Nidhi Yojana in district Lahaul-Spiti, I also announce to provide Rs 1500 to 2.37 lakh women receiving a pension of Rs 1100 in the state from February 1, 2024. In this way, 2.42 lakh women of the state will receive a pension of Rs 1500 per month. We do what we say. We have come to extend the benefits of the schemes to the last person and lay the foundation of self-reliant Himachal.
Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that in the budget 2024-25, the state government has started schemes for all sections. A scheme has been started to bear the entire cost of education of children of widowed women. Along with this, MNREGA’s daily wage was increased by Rs 60 from Rs 240 to Rs 300. He said that Himachal Pradesh has become the first state to give a minimum support price of milk, where the minimum price of purchase of cow milk has been fixed at Rs 45 per liter and buffalo milk at Rs 55 per liter. Along with this, the minimum support price of naturally cultivated wheat has been fixed at Rs 40 per kg and the rate of maize at Rs 30 per kg. 4 percent DA and the outstanding amount will be paid to the employees in a phased manner. Also, the diet money of police has been increased five times from Rs 210 to Rs 1000.
The Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh is going to become the first state in the country to increase the marriage age of girls from 18 years to 21 years. He said that to provide loans up to Rs 20 lakh at a one percent interest rate to meritorious students for higher education, the state government has appointed Dr. Y.S. Parmar Student Loan Scheme has been started.
He said that the previous BJP government inherited an empty treasury, but despite this, in the last year, the present government has made efforts to improve the system. In the first budget, the government laid the foundation of self-reliant Himachal as it could not depend on debt and found ways to increase the revenue. He said that the effort of the state government is to reach the last person, hence Himachal Pradesh became the first state in the country to enact a law to give the status of ‘Children of the State’ to orphan children. This is a sensitive effort of the state government to reach the last person.
Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that fulfilling its guarantee, the state government has restored the old pension despite many restrictions imposed by the Central Government so that he can live his old age with dignity. At the same time, as soon as the BJP government was formed in Rajasthan, the old pension scheme started during the tenure of the Congress government was withdrawn. He said that Himachal Pradesh faced the biggest disaster in its history, in which 525 people died and 16,000 houses were damaged. Despite not getting any help from the Central Government, the State Government gave a package of Rs 4500 crore to the disaster-affected people, under which the compensation amount in case of complete damage to the house has been increased from Rs 1.30 lakh to Rs 7 lakh.
MP Pratibha Singh welcomed the Chief Minister to Lahaul-Spiti and expressed gratitude on behalf of the people of the district for various developmental projects. He said that the present state government is working in adverse circumstances and is helping all sections. He said that the state government is making continuous efforts to complete its election manifesto. The state government has started the old pension scheme and has also taken the initiative of providing Rs 1500 to women from Lahaul-Spiti. He said that in the coming time, the benefits of this scheme will be extended to women in all the districts in a phased manner.
MLA Ravi Thakur expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu for various developmental projects worth Rs 70 crore and said that this will give impetus to the development of the tribal area. Congratulating the people of the district on Lahaul Sharad Utsav, he said that this is a platform for mutual interaction and showcasing the rich culture of this place.
Earlier, the Chief Minister flagged off several ambulances donated by MP Pratibha Singh and also visited developmental exhibitions. The Chief Minister also unveiled the coffee table book of the district police.
On this occasion, District Council President Anuradha Thakur, Congress District President Gelson Thakur, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar, Superintendent of Police Mayank Chaudhary, Director ISOMSA Pradeep Thakur and other dignitaries were present.