CM promises to enhance daily wages, regularise teachers

Una, Nov 30 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said if he returned to power after the Assembly polls, he would enhance the minimum daily wages to Rs 100, besides, regularising all posts of para teachers and teachers appointed on contract basis through the Parents Teacher's Associations.

While addressing an election campaign rally at the Municipal park here Mr Singh said, during the current tenure, the Congress Government had provided jobs to over 75,000 persons, besides, enabling an industrial investment to the tune of Rs 28,000 crore.

About 3.75 lakh persons would find employment in these industrial units once they were fully functional, he said.

He said the Congress government had spended more than 40 per cent of its budget in the social sector and that the government had added another 2.67 lakh widows, old aged and handicapped beneficiaries under the social security pension schemes during the last four-and-a-half years.

While a subsidy of Rs 100 crore was provided by the government towards providing ration at cheaper rates, Rs 134 crore were spent for providing electricity at cheap rates to the general public, the Chief Minister said.

Continuing to deliberate on the achievements of the Congress Government, he said about 50,000 daily wagers were given the benefit of pensions by regularising their services.

In contrast Mr Singh said, during the last BJP tenure, 35,000 daily wagers were rendered jobless.

As regards the state employees, he said the total additional benefits to the cadre during he last four and a half years was about Rs 900 crore.

Criticising BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal, he said the latter had already started behaving like a Chief Minister.

''I do not want to discuss the issue again, but early polls have created a constitutional crisis,'' he said.

He said the BJP should forget about winning the coming elections.

Earlier, the CM was welcomed at the Indira stadium here after his arrival from Shimla by helicopter.

He accompanied Una party candidate Virender Gautam and Santokhgarh party candidate Mukesh Agnihotri during filing of their nomination papers.

He later addressed a public meeting at Ghaluwal in Santokhgarh segment.

UNI