Bilaspur : Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today transferred a total amount of Rs. 52.50 lakh through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to 1,500 fishermen with Rs. 3500 each of Bilaspur district under Mukhya Mantri Machhuara Samman Nidhi Yojana during his visit to the Jhandutta Assembly Constituency of Bilaspur district. He also announced the waiver of the five-fold penalty imposed on fishermen societies and increased the subsidy for establishing cold storage units from 70 percent to 80 percent. He further announced Rs. 50 lakh for providing life jackets to fishermen across the state and Rs. 10 lakh for creating landing facilities for fishermen. He also announced Rs 10 lakh each for completing the construction of 10 link roads in the Jhandutta Assembly constituency. Further he announced to start BCA and BBA classes at Government Degree College Jhandutta.
Addressing a public meeting at Dhrarsanni on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that listening to the voice of the common man and formulating policies accordingly was the true essence of ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’. He said that having risen from an ordinary family to the position of Chief Minister, he understood the hardships being faced by common people. ‘Keeping in view the hard work and contribution of fishermen, the state government has taken several important decisions for their welfare,’ he said.
Sh. Sukhu said that royalty on fish caught from reservoirs had been reduced from 15 percent to 7.50 percent during the financial year 2025-26 and it had now been further reduced to just one percent. He said the state government was providing 70 percent subsidy on the purchase of refrigerated vehicles to facilitate transportation of fish to major markets such as Delhi and Chandigarh. He said the state government wanted fishermen to lead a better and more secure life and was committed to strengthening the rural economy so that people could earn a livelihood within their villages.
The Chief Minister said that during the previous BJP government, Himachal Pradesh had slipped to 21st position in the country in terms of quality education. He said that due to the pragmatic efforts of the present state government, Himachal Pradesh had now improved to fifth position in providing quality education to students. He said 150 CBSE schools had been opened through government initiatives, resulting in an increase of around 24,000 students in enrolment. He said the state government had made historic increases in milk prices and the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for natural farming produce. Financial assistance was also being provided to Mahila Mandals and Yuvak Mandals for plantation and increasing forest cover, he added. “Our government wants people in villages to earn their livelihood and generate income in their own villages,” he said.
Sh. Sukhu said that the state government had plugged the avenues of corruption, and the funds saved through these measures were being utilized for the welfare of fishermen and for implementing schemes to support the higher education of orphaned and other deserving children. He said that students pursuing higher education were also being provided education loans at an interest rate of just one percent.
The Chief Minister said the state government was bringing modern technology and expertise available at AIIMS, New Delhi to government Medical Colleges in Himachal Pradesh. He said advanced facilities, including robotic surgery, were now being made available to people in the State. He said the government was also providing assistance of Rs 8 lakh to disaster-affected families from its own resources and had taken several measures to ensure that public money was utilized for the welfare of the people. He said that if anyone had amassed wealth through corrupt practices, the government would take action in accordance with law. He also sought for people’s cooperation in the fight against corruption.
Sh. Sukhu said that the Congress government had taken several decisions in the interest of government employees and other sections of society. He said the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) was one such decision, taken without any political motive and solely with the objective of securing the future of employees in their old age. He said, ‘Wherever BJP governments are in power, the Old Pension Scheme has been abolished, but we restored it in our very first Cabinet meeting.’
Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani said that the day marked a historic beginning for improving the lives of fishermen in the State. He said the Government’s policies and the Chief Minister’s sensitive approach had resulted in several important decisions for the welfare of the fishing community. He said that immediately after taking oath as Chief Minister, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had visited an orphanage and taken the first decision in favour of children who had no one to look after them. He said the government’s decisions were bringing positive changes in the lives of ordinary people and were giving real meaning to the slogan of Vyavastha Parivartan.
Rajesh Dharmani said that BJP had attempted to destabilize an elected government, but with the blessings of the people, the number of Congress MLAs had once again reached 40. He said Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was working with sincerity and commitment, which had earned him the people’s mandate. Referring to the Kishau Dam project, the Technical Education Minister said the Chief Minister had taken a firm stand to safeguard Himachal Pradesh’s interests. He said this would pave the way for an estimated annual revenue of around Rs. 600 crore for the State in the future. “Had there been a double-engine government in Himachal Pradesh, the State would have suffered a double loss,” he said.
Former Minister Ram Lal Thakur said that the state government was taking care of the interests of more than 6,000 fishermen and had taken several steps for their welfare. He said the development of Bilaspur district had been significantly contributed to by the Congress Party Government.
Former MLA Bumbar Thakur said the BJP’s hopes of returning to power would remain unfulfilled and the Congress Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu would be re-elected. He said BJP leaders were attempting to portray falsehoods as facts, and it was the responsibility of Congress workers to present the truth and take the state government’s welfare policies and achievements to every household.
Congress candidate from Jhandutta Vivek Kumar said that Chief Minister had formulated schemes for a section that had not received adequate attention from previous governments. He said Bilaspur had endured the pain of displacement since its formation and thanked the Chief Minister on behalf of people dependent on fishing for their daily livelihood. He said the Chief Minister had understood their hardships and addressed demands that had remained pending for four to five decades.
Former MLAs Tilak Raj Sharma and Biru Ram Kishore, Mahila Congress President Tripta Thakur, District Congress President Anjana Dhiman, Chairperson Gudiya Saksham Board Aruna Mahajan, Secretary Priyanka Basu Ingty, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
