Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh on Monday claimed opposition leaders were flaring up petty issues on social media platforms thus trying to defame the government nationwide.

Responding to the personal attacks by the opposition, he said that he would not be intimidated and would continue to take decisions in the best interest of the people of the state and to strengthen the derailed economy, which would hardly affect 70 percent of the population of the state.

“The present state government inherited empty coffers from the previous BJP government. They opened 900 institutions during the last six months before the elections and do not talk of the development strides of the present government and make irrelevant statements which show their frustration following the victory of the present government in recent by-elections,” he said.

Sukhu said this here on Monday, while dedicating development projects worth Rs. 43.37 crore to the people of the Kasumpatti Assembly constituency.

He inaugurated the Zila Parishad Bhawan at Chalonthi, built at a cost of Rs. 20.26 crore and the new building of Government College Koti, constructed at a cost of Rs. 21.36 crore and the newly constructed science block at Government Senior Secondary School Koti completed with an outlay of Rs 1.75 crore.

He also announced 10 additional beds and more staff for Koti Community Health Centre (CHC) at Koti and assured that an ambulance would be made available at CHC to cater to the emergency needs.

Along with the opening of a police post in Koti, the Chief Minister announced Rs. 50 lakh each for the improvement of the Koti-Padechi and Koti-Mundadhar roads. He also announced a new Patwar Circle for Satlai.

He also announced Bus service from Peeran to Shimla via Kufri. Expressing pride in the development of a modern campus at Koti which has been made possible through the efforts of Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh, he revealed that the state government plans to make Koti the first college in Himachal Pradesh to offer B.Ed. classes, starting from the next academic session.

The government mulls to introduce B.Ed. and ITI courses in other colleges of the state, he said.

The Chief Minister said that due to the negligence in the education sector and lavish spending of the previous government, the standard of education had declined.

He assured that the present state government was continuously working to reverse the trends and establish 800 ‘Schools of Excellence’ besides opening Rajiv Gandhi Day-boarding Schools across the state.

Sukhu said that along with educational reforms, the government was also strengthening public health facilities throughout the state and particularly at IGMC Shimla.