Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday appreciated the efforts of Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur for the “splendid and unprecedented achievements” of his government.

Addressing the state-level function today — organised here to mark the completion of three-year tenure of the Jai Ram-led BJP government — virtually from New Delhi, Singh said that the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was a “great gift” of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and has proved a “boon” to the hilly states like Himachal Pradesh.

He congratulated Jai Ram for making Himachal Pradesh second best state in the country in effective implementation of the PMGSY.

Rajnath said that the Atal Tunnel at Rohtang — dedicated recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the nation — would not only facilitate the people of the Lahaul Spiti district but was also of strategic importance. He described Himachal Pradesh as “Vir Bhumi” as almost every family living in the state is related to a serving soldier or an ex-serviceman.

The message of BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda was also read out on the occasion by BJP general secretary Trilok Jamwal.

The CM said that the threeyear tenure of the BJP government was dedicated to the welfare of every section of the society and to the development of every area of the state.

The state government during this period took several initiatives to make Himachal Pradesh one of the most developed states of the country. He said that the coronavirus pandemic has forced the government to organise this event with simplicity by strictly following the Covid-related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Thakur said that the state government was providing social security pension to 5.70 lakh eligible people. The Jan Manch and Chief Minister Sewa Sankalp Helpline- 1100 were started by the government for speedy redressal of the public grievances.

He said that the HIMCARE scheme was launched to provide health care to the poor under which as many as 1.25 lakh families have been benefited by spending an amount of Rs 121 crore. He said that Sahara Yojna was launched to provide financial assistance of Rs 3000 per month to families with chronically ill patients.

The Grihini Suvidha Yojna has been launched under which 2.90 lakh free gas connections have been provided to the eligible families and this scheme has made Himachal Pradesh first “smoke free state” of the country. Jai Ram said that MoUs worth Rs 96,000 crore were signed during the Global Investor Meet organised last year at Dharamshala and within a month the ground breaking of projects worth Rs 13,500 crore was performed. Out of these projects, the work on projects worth Rs 10,000 crore has already started.

He said that the Prakritik Kheti Khushal Kisan Yojna has been launched to promote natural farming and as many as one lakh farming families have adopted it so far. Similarly, the Mukhya Mantri Swavlamban Yojna has been launched to encourage youths to start their own self-employment ventures and a subsidy of 25 per cent on loan amount of Rs. 40 lakh was being provided to youths to start their selfemployment ventures, whereas 30 per cent subsidy was being provided to women and girls.

The CM said that the state will celebrate the golden jubilee of its statehood on 25 January next year, which would be celebrated in a “befitting manner”. He thanked the people of the state for their “wholehearted support” to the state government during the last three years.

He also thanked the defence minister for sanctioning a battalion of the NDRF for the state besides ensuring “one rank one pension” that benefited lakhs of retired soldiers of the state.