Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur today directed the state administration that elaborate arrangements must be made to celebrate the golden jubilee of Himachal’s statehood in Shimla on 25 January 2021 in a “befitting manner”.

Reviewing the arrangements in a meeting, the chief minister said that he had also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to virtually grace the occasion and address the people of the State.

Thakur said that in the event of snowfall on this day, alternative arrangements for indoor/virtual function may also be kept ready at the Gaiety/ Town Hall so that the function is held smoothly.

The chief minister said that commemorative postage stamp of Rs five would be released to mark the occasion.

He said that national awardees of the state would also be honoured on the occasion.

Thakur directed that a Coffee Table Book (bilingual) should be brought out depicting the progress made by the state during the last 50 years to acquaint the people about the unprecedented development.

He also asked the Information and Public Relations department to prepare a documentary ‘Himachal Then and Now’ to be screened on the occasion.

He said that exhibitions should also be organized on the development that took place during the period.

He also directed the officers to prepare a list of 51 events that would be organized round the year to commemorate golden jubilee year of Statehood. The departments must prepare a list of their major achievements and ambitious projects which could be dedicated to the people of the state in a befitting manner and by organizing a special event. He said that all the departments must work with close coordination so that the event could be made memorable.

Thakur said that all the international festivals and fairs of the state such as Minjar Fair of Chamba district, Shivratri of Mandi district, lavi Fair of Shimla district and Summer Festival of Shimla would also be celebrated with the theme related to golden jubilee year of statehood.

The chief minister directed the departments to prepare a short documentary depicting the development made during the last 50 years.

Additional Chief Secretaries, Ram Subhag Singh, Nisha Singh, Manoj Kumar, R.D. Dhiman, Principal Secretaries, J.C. Sharma, K.K. Pant and Onkar Chand Sharma and Yashwant Singh, Secretaries Rajneesh, Sandeep Bhatnagar, Akshay Sood, Ajay Sharma, Rajeev Sharma and Amitabh Awasthi, Special Secretary Rakesh Kanwar and Director Information and Public Relations Harbans Singh Brascon and other senior officers also attended the meeting.