PM turns to HP again for Garib Kalyan Yojana

Shimla: After 'Vaccination Samwad'—an interactive talk on Himachal Pradesh success in 100 pc first dose vaccination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned to the state again for an interactive session on PM Garib Kalyan Yojana— Centre's flagship programme to 'poorest of poor' to fight Covid crisis.

The preparations are underway in all 12 districts for 'face to face' with Modi through a virtual medium as the state government proposes to connect all 7.10 lakh beneficiaries on September 25.

State's Chief Secretary Ram Subhag Singh held a meeting of top officials of the government to enable the Prime Minister to make a direct communication with some of the beneficiaries to know how the scheme has changed their lives, during the Covid time.

The audio-visual screens will be put –up in all the districts, blocks, tehsils and all 5036 fair price shops to make the people and beneficiaries watch the session and also interact with the Prime Minister.

Himachal Pradesh is known for its strong network of targeted Public Distribution System operated through a network of 117

Wholesale godowns and 5,029 retail fair price shops.

Out of these 5,029 fair price shops, 3,268 are manned by Cooperative Sector, 14 by Panchayats, 66 by HPSCSC Ltd, 1,660 by Individuals and 21 by Mahila Mandals/Self Help Groups. There are around 19.20 lakh ration card holders getting ration supplies at highly subsidized rates.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who is in Delhi met President of India Ram Nath Kovid and extended him a formal invitation to visit Himachal Pradesh to address the special session of Vidhan Sabha being held to mark the 50 years of Statehood celebrations in the state.