Punjab jails, NRIs and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh on Saturday announced that Hoshiarpur district to get major developmental push in time to come. He also announced holiday in all schools of Hoshiarpur district on Monday.
After hoisting the national flag on the 80th Independence Day at the Police Lines, Dr Ravjot Singh said that the state government is committed to further intensify the pace of ongoing development in the district. He said that the decision had already been cleared for construction of Shaheed Udham Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences, which would be commence soon which commence shortly and completed at a cost of Rs. Rs 275 crore.
He said the medical college with a 400-bed hospital to come at district hospital with 100 MBBS seats every year. He said that the construction of 50-bedded Critical Care Unit at civil hospital had been 75 percent accomplished. The unit is being constructed at a cost of Rs 13.65 crore. He added that an MRI facility is also being set up at the civil hospital and would become operational within a month.
Highlighting the the government’s healthcare initiatives, Dr Ravjot Singh said that nearly 3.50 lakh Mukh Mantri Sehat Cards had been issued in the district. So far, 19370 patients had availed treatment at government hospitals, while another 4280 patients had benefited from treatment at empanelled private hospitals.
The Minister said that to augment anganwadi services, the Punjab Government had appointed 118 Anganwadi Workers and 354 Anganwadi Helpers in the district to further improve and strengthen maternal and child care and nutrition services. He said that under the Mukh Mantri Mawan-Dhiyan Satkar Yojana, 234836 women had been registered in the district and around Rs 82.31 crore had so far been transferred directly into their bank accounts.
Talking about the education sector, the Cabinet Minister said that along with large-scale improvements in government schools, 755 new teachers had been posted in the district as part of the recruitment of teachers to curb the shortage of staff.
On account of welfare initiatives, Dr Ravjot Singh said that nearly 2.10 lakh ration kits had so far been distributed to beneficiaries in the district under the Meri Rasoi Scheme. He also said that the Punjab government was ensuring canal irrigation water through pipelines up to the tail ends and in Hoshiarpur district, 1600 kilometres of pipelines had been laid and irrigation channels established to provide canal water to agricultural fields.
This had ensured irrigating nearly 1.90 lakh acres, benefiting farmers in around 500 villages. He also said that repair and upgradation of 1896 kilometres of link roads was underway in the district at a cost of Rs 517.36 crore, which would significantly improve road connectivity in the coming period.
He added that 10 new high-level bridges were being constructed at Dadianа, Hargarh , Bahera, Manjhi, Badla, near Bhanghi Choa at Dhobighat, Boothgarh, Mehingrowal, Bilaspur and Gurdwara Rampur Khera, at an estimated cost of around Rs 48.17 crore.Dr Ravjot Singh said that Primary Health Centres were also being constructed at Chakkowal at a cost of Rs 2.09 crore and at Garhdiwala at a cost of Rs 1.35 crore.
The Cabinet Minister said that Hoshiarpur, a district known for literacy, environmental conservation, craftsmanship, tractor manufacturing and a leading sex ratio, and a land blessed by the Gurus, saints would witness all-round development under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
He said the Aam Aadmi Party government would make all out efforts for the comprehensive development of the district. He said that buses had recently been flagged off from Hoshiarpur under the Punjab Mukh Mantri Teerth Yatra Scheme for various holy destinations.
He added that religious programmes under ‘Ek Shaam Bhagwan Shiv Ke Naam’ were organised in the district and that the play ‘Mere Ram’ would also be staged in the coming days to further strengthen communal harmony and brotherhood.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain, SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Rakesh Kumar Meena and other senior officers presented a memento to the Cabinet Minister on behalf of the district administration.