HP government completes three years in office

Shimla, Mar 6 (UNI) The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has completed three years in office with spectacular achievements, unprecedented development and a growth rate of over eight per cent, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said.

''The state has achieved a growth rate of 8.2 per cent this year, which was higher than the national average,'' he said at a press conference, organised to make the completion of state government's three years in office today.

Mr Singh said against a plan size of Rs 1400.38 crore in 2004-05, the plan size has grown to Rs 1607.66 crore this year, which was the state's biggest so far.

The state government was spending a 45.48 per cent of the total plan size on social sector to improve the socio economic condition of the weaker sections of the society.

The Chief Minister said a sum of Rs 173.12 crore was being spent under the special component plan, benefiting more than 15 lakh SC people in the state.

The state government was also providing a pension of Rs 200 to over 2,12,250 people in the state, he said, adding that 43,249 additional beneificiries had been added to the list this year.

Himachal also received a special package of Rs 4,000 crore during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the state last year, he said.

Hydel projects commissioned during the last three years were generating 2125 MW power in the state, while the 800 MW Kol Dam, 2051 MW Parbati and 231 MW Chamera III were under various stages of completion, he said.

The National Rural Employment Gurantee Scheme (NREGS) was also being implemented in two districts of Chamba and Sirmaur and would provide a minimum of 100 days of employment to over 86,000 BPL families of the state, he said.

UNI AS PS YA PC2119