PM to visit Dharamshala Thursday as BJP govt in HP marks one year in office

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend an event in Dharamshala Thursday to mark one year of the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh.

He will release a document highlighting achievements of the state government on the occasion, a statement from the prime minister's office said Wednesday.

The prime minister will reach Dharamshala at around 11.30 am and address a public rally.

He will also interact with the beneficiaries of various government schemes, the statement said.

The BJP had wrested power from the Congress in the state assembly elections last year.

Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Union Health Minister J P Nadda, BJP state in charge Mangal Pandey and BJP state president Satpal Singh reached Dharamshala Wednesday and took stock of the preparations at the rally site.

Thakur expressed his gratitude towards the people of the state for their cooperation in an "all-round and equitable development" of the state. He also thanked Modi for providing financial assistance of crores of rupees to the state for various development works.

He said one year's tenure of his government has been "very successful and full of achievements".

In an official statement, the chief minister said that his government has made best efforts to benefit every section of the society by launching various new welfare schemes like Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana, Mukhya Mantri Savavlamban Yojana and Mukhya Mantri Chikitsa Kosh.

"The Jan Manch programme initiated by the government has proved a boon for the common man in redressing their complaints and demands immediately at their door-steps.

"Similarly, the decision of the state government to reduce age limit for getting old-age pension beyond any income limit from 80 to 70 years has benefitted more than one lakh people in the state," Thakur said.

He said he has covered 63 assembly constituencies of the state in this period, which has helped him to interact directly with the masses.

"It is with the active cooperation and support of the people of the state that Himachal Pradesh has scaled the new heights of development in most of the sectors for which it has been recognised at the national level," he said, while expressing hope that the state would emerge as a model state for rest of the country in the coming years.