Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday presided over the closing ceremony of the four-day State-Level Kinnaur Mahotsav in district Kinnaur on Saturday evening.

Lauding the people of Kinnaur for preserving and promoting their unique traditions, he said such festivals not only unite the community but also make people aware of the rich cultural heritage of the state.

The state government is making every effort to preserve the rich culture of the state, he said, adding that the government has launched various welfare schemes for the development of tribal areas and social and economic upliftment of the people.

“A heliport will be constructed in Kinnaur. Apart from this, a sports complex is being constructed for Rs. 28 crore to prevent drug abuse among youth. The state government is constructing the world’s first Controlled Atmosphere Storage Facility (CA store) with geothermal technology at Tapri in Kinnaur district. For this, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Iceland and Himachal Government. This will benefit the horticulturists by strengthening their economy will be strengthened,” he said.

To strengthen the horticulture sector, the state government has started a Universal Carton, under which apples are being purchased from the gardeners on a per kg basis, which has been possible only due to the good governance system of the government, he added.

As the road remains blocked for most of the time due to rain in Nigulsari of Kinnaur the state government has made a provision of Rs. 5 crore for the construction of an alternative road to Reckong Peo so that the people of the area do not have to face inconvenience, said the Chief Minister.

He said that after assuming power in the state, the state government took decisions in public interest and in the very first cabinet meeting, the Old Pension Scheme was restored to give the employees their rights.

As many as 1.36 lakh government employees of the state have benefited from this scheme, he said.

During the disaster, the state government stood firmly with all the affected people and released a special relief package of Rs. 4500 crore for those affected, he added.

“Developmental projects worth Rs. 30.70 crore have been dedicated to the development of Kinnaur district. These projects will help in the development of the area and the people here will be benefited immensely,” he said.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister gave ownership rights to the poor and landless people of the district by providing them with land leases under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

The Chief Minister also honoured the winners of various competitions organized on the occasion of the state-level Kinnaur Mahotsav.