Himachal CM announces 3

Kaza (Himachal Pradesh), April 15 (IANS) Bordering China, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Saturday unfurled the national flag at the height of 12,000 at the state-level Himachal Day function here and announced three per cent dearness allowance (DA) for 2.15 lakh employees and 90,000 retired employees.

This was for the first time that the state-level function was held in Kaza, around 325 km from the state capital, in remote Lahaul-Spiti district.

After unfurling the tricolor, the Chief Minister conveyed his greetings to the people and expressed gratitude to Yashwant Singh Parmar, the first Chief Minister of the state.

The decision to hike DA would put an additional burden of about Rs 500 crore on the state's exchequer, an official statement said.

He also announced a pension of Rs 1,500 for all 9,000 women residents of the Spiti Valley above 18 years from June, opening of a college and to make 50-bed Community Health Centre in Kaza town operational.

The Chief Minister said the state government would take up the issue of developing an airstrip at Rangrik in Spiti with the Defence Ministry. Besides being important from the strategic point of view, the strip will also help boosting tourism activities.

The Chief Minister said besides constructing a heliport at Rongtong, a road would be costed at the cost of Rs 34 crore from Atargu to Mud in the Pin Valley as part of the third phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

Additionally, the government would also prioritise the construction of a road to connect Bhawa with Mud, the world's highest altitude road.

He said a star-gazing observatory would be set up in the Fossil Village in Langza, a paradise for stargazers with the assistance of the Union government.

He said the government has brought 1.36 lakh government employees under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), fulfilling its promise of restoring the OPS, besides providing a monthly pension of Rs 1,500 to 2.31 lakh women of the state in a phased manner.

Under Widow and Ekal Nari Awas Yojana, 7,000 women would be given financial assistance to construct houses in this fiscal.

Also, the Land Holding Ceiling Act, 1972, has been amended to provide equal rights to daughters in property ownership of ancestral property, he added.