Grievances of Bhakra Dam oustees to be addressed soon: CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said today that the grievances and pending issues of Bhakra Dam project oustees would be addressed at the earliest.
Presiding over a review meeting with officers of various departments in Bilaspur, he said that all-out efforts would be made to redress the grievances of Bhakra Dam oustees, adding that 245 landless families were still awaiting rehabilitation.
During the meeting, the chief minister was apprised by the officials that 14 projects were being implemented under NABARD and 50 per cent of works on two of these projects had been completed.
He asked the officers to accelerate the pace of work in these projects as well as roads being constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

The chief minister also sought information about the progress in the survey of the first phase of the 53-kilometre Bhanupalli-Barmana (Beri) Railway Line and was informed that the survey was near completion.
The chief minister expressed his concern on the shortage of doctors and assured that vacant posts of doctors and para medical staff would be filled soon and asked the officials to undertake awareness campaign on water-borne diseases, tuberculosis and scrub typhus by holding camps in remote and far-flung areas of the state.

Thakur said that good governance and maintenance of law and order were priorities of his government.

He asked the police to take effective and stern steps to check drug peddling and the sale and use of drugs and intoxicants, which was "ruining" theyounger generation.
He said officials would be rewarded for extraordinary contributions.
He said the priority of the present government was to ensure a transparent and clean administration, besides improving law and order.
The chief minister said, "Service of people is our motto and we expect hard work and cooperation from officials."
It was Thakur's first visit to his home district of Mandi after becoming the chief minister. He was accorded grand welcome at various places and the crowd was so enthusiastic that it took his cavalcade seven hours to cover a distance of 70 km from Bilaspur to Mandi.