Cess on hydel power okayed
Tribune
News Service
SHIMLA, Nov 8 The
Centre has agreed to the proposal of the state for
imposing a cess on hydel power generation.
Disclosing this at
Rewalsar in Mandi last evening, Mr P K Dhumal, Chief
Minister, said that as per the Centre's decision,
two-third of the revenue raised through the proposed cess
would go to the State and the remaining to the
development of the hydro-power sector.
He announced the setting
up of a development authority for planned development and
beautification of the Rewalsar and Prashar lakes which
attract a large number of tourists every year.
He criticised the
"pseudo-secularists" for opposing
"Saraswati Vandana" during the meeting of
education ministers recently, saying that it was an
attack on the cultural unity of the nation as
"Saraswati Vandana" was also an integral part
of the education tradition in the country.
Mr Dhumal said that state
government had decided to give a boost to tourism with a
view to generating income and creating employment
opportunities for the youth. Adventure, pilgrim and
nature tourism had vast scope and government proposed to
exploit this untapped potential in a phased manner.
He said Rs 1 crore had
been earmarked for the construction of "sulabh
shochalyas" at important tourist places and halting
points along the roads for the convenience of tourists
and commuters.
The Chief Minister said
his government was giving top priority to the creation of
employment opportunities. One thousand youth would be
recruited for the newly sanctioned India Reserve
Battalion and 400 more posts would be filled in the
police department soon. He said that on his request, the
Chiefs of Army and Air Force had agreed to organise
recruitment rallies in Himachal Pradesh.
He advised the youth not
to run after white collar jobs and instead, set up their
own self-employment ventures as there was little scope
for jobs in the government sector.
He said "Kisan
Bhavan" was being constructed in Delhi at a cost of
Rs 2 crore. Farmers would get information of different
markets of the country on the Internet.
He Chief Minister
sanctioned Rs 2.5 lakh for the construction of a
sulabh shochalaya at Rewalsar, Rs 1 lakh for
additional accommodation in the High School, Kalkhar and
Rs 1 lakh for a stadium at Rewalsar.
He was addressing a public
meeting after inaugurating a lift water supply scheme at
Rewalsar.
Mr I D Dhiman, Education
Minister, said that 10,000 poorest of the poor students
of Scheduled Caste families would be imparted education
free of cost at ten plus one and plus two class levels
every year.
Mr Roop Singh, Forest
Minister, said that Rs 35 crore was being spent on
various irrigation and water supply schemes in Mandi
district during the current financial year.
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