Women can travel in HRTC buses at 50% fare in HP, no bills for drinking water in villages

Shimla: In the election year, Himachal Pradesh's BJP government has come out with yet another bonanza for the women, a 50 percent of the state's population and potential vote bank for the ruling party.

On the 75th Himachal Divas, a state-level function held at Chawgan of Chamba –a heritage town, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur unfurled the Tricolour and took salute from the contingents of police, Home Guards, NCC and NSS.

He announced that women can travel in the HRTC buses paying only 50 per cent fare without showing any I-card or other forms of papers.

Chief Minister also announced that there will be no bill charge for supplying water to the consumers in the villages. The electricity consumers will also be given free power upto 125 units in the state.

With this, the women would get a benefit to the tune of Rs 60 crore. To provide zero billing on power, 11.5 lakh consumers would get a benefit of about Rs 250 crores.

He said zero water bill to the families in the rural areas will entail financial benefits of Rs 30 crore to all rural families.

The announcements look more like AAP-model of freebies in the hill state even though the people have been expecting major announcements from the Chief Minister on Himachal Divas, mainly because this being an election year. This is despite the state's financial condition remains quite critical.

The government has been raising loans frequently to meet its salary bills of the employees, pay them arrears of wages and pensions. Yet, the employees were up in arms asking for implementation of the old pension scheme.

But before the function, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used social media forums to send a video message to the people of the state, who he said, were hardworking, gentle and hospitable.

He appreciated the leadership of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and his team of ministers, who he said, have not allowed the process of development to stop.

He said that with the strengthening of the road network in the State, due to the double engine governments, the state was opening new vistas of development in tourism and other allied sectors.

The Central schemes were being effectively and vigorously implemented in the State under the leadership of the Chief Minister. The Prime Minister said with the honest leadership in form of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and hardworking people, Himachal Pradesh was poised to emerge as the most developed state of the country.

In his speech, the Chief Minister also paid his respect to the freedom fighters, founder and first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar, all the former Chief Ministers on the path of progress. He also paid his respect to former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for granting industrial packages to the State during his tenure as Prime Minister of the country.

Chief Minister gave 'Prerana Sarotra Award-2022' to Police Orchestra Harmony of the Pines, Dheeraj Mahajan of NGO Kranti working for helping stray animals, first voter of India Shyam Saran Negi, Dr. Tek Chand, Padam Shri Baba Ikbal Singh (received by Sardar Jagjit Singh), Padam Shree Vidya Nand Sariak, Padam Shree Lalita Vakeel, noted writers Dr. Gautam Sharma, Dr. Pratyush Gularia and Vijay Raj Upadhaya.