Himachal to soon pay minimum support price for ginger: CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh govt will soon provide a minimum support price (MSP) to farmers for ginger, as is already provided for milk, said chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday.Sukhu, addressing a public gathering in Sarahan in Pachhad assembly constituency of Sirmaur district, said that within a year, the Sarahan hospital will have specialist doctors and an ultrasound machine. He announced the opening of a CBSE school in Sarahan and the double-laning of Sarahan-Chandigarh road. He promised to fulfil all the demands of local Congress leader Dayal Pyari and former legislative assembly speaker Gangu Ram Musafir.
Remembering first chief minister Dr Y S Parmar, Sukhu said he enacted Section 118 of the law to protect the interests of the people of Himachal Pradesh, and the current state govt was following in his footsteps. He said the state had received revenue deficit grant (RDG) since Dr Parmar's time, but the 16th Finance Commission took away this right. He said his govt had been fighting for the rights of the state.Sukhu stated that at the request of BJP leaders, the venue of the all-party meeting was changed on Friday, but the BJP did not stand up for Himachal's interests, while all other parties supported the state govt on the RDG issue. "In the meeting, I asked whether BJP leaders were in favour of Himachal Pradesh receiving the RDG, but they did not say a word. BJP leaders should clarify their stand on the Rs 10,000-crore cut before the people of the state," he added. He said the people of Himachal Pradesh are not asking for alms; this is Himachal Pradesh's right. Sukhu highlighted measures taken by his govt to support the rural economy and protect the hill state's rights.Industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan stated that when it comes to the state's interests, political parties should rise above political ideology, and the RDG is the state's right.BOX:Development ProjectsThe chief minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones for seven development projects worth around Rs 32 crore in Sarahan in the Pachhad assembly segment in Sirmaur district on Saturday. Inaugurations included a Rs 1.44 crore office-cum-residential building for the assistant district attorney, Rajgarh; a Rs 1.98-crore sub-tehsil at Nohri; the Rs 5.74-crore Thani Thamani Kharimu road; the Rs 4.73-crore LWSS Lana Bhalta Loh; and the Rs 1.66-crore Rajgarh-Yashwant Nagar road. He also laid foundations for a Rs 14.13-crore motorable bridge over the Giri river between Chabyoga and Salamu, and Rs 2.15-crore Type-II PWD residential quarters at Rajgarh.