Ensuring benefits of govt programmes reach people: Himachal CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday said his government is ensuring that policies and programmes initiated by it reach the intended beneficiaries for their socio-economic uplift.

The CM said this while interacting with beneficiaries of government schemes in Kangra through a video conferencing from Shimla, an official statement said.

The chief minister said such virtual events help the government interact directly with the beneficiaries and get feedback from them regarding the policies and programmes initiated by it.

“During these interactions, the government gets good suggestions to make the programmes more result oriented and effective,” he said.

Jai Ram Thakur said at times it has been felt that people could not derive benefit from welfare schemes due to a lack of information. He said such interactions go a long way in apprising people of these schemes.

Thakur said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Ujjawala Yojna to provide free gas connections to poor women but still lakhs of them in the state could not be covered.

Thus, the state government launched the Himachal Pradesh Grihni Suvidha Yojna and provided free gas connections to about 2.76 lakh households, he said, adding that with this, the state become the first in the country to provide gas connections to every household.

The CM said under a state government grievance redressal initiative, 190 “jan manch” have been organised. The Mukhyamantri Sewa Sankalp Helpline 1100 has further assisted in redressing public grievances, he said.

The government launched the HimCare Yojna and till date about 90,000 people have been treated under it by spending Rs 90 crore, he claimed.

Jai Ram Thakur said his government for the first time has set a target to provide 10,000 houses to homeless.

The Mukhyamantri Swavalamban Yojna loans worth Rs 13 crore have been provided to the youth for self employment, he said.

The chief minister said as the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely hit people, Rs 180 crore was transferred to the accounts of over 8.75 lakh farmers under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna.

He said the state government has provided an additional incentive of Rs 1,000 per month to every ASHA from March to June. An incentive of Rs 2,000 per month will be provided per month for each ASHA from July and August, he added.