Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday said the state government is working without any vengeance and vendetta and ensuring equitable development of the state.

Addressing a public meeting at Kupvi in the Chopal area of Shimla district, he said that from day one, the government ensured that no one was victimized politically and the main focus was laid on the development of the state.

Thakur accused the previous state government of dividing the people of the state even on the colour of the caps and said in the last about four years, the government had ensured that all the areas and every section of the society benefitted from government schemes.

“The very first decision of the state government was aimed at the welfare of the old people as the age limit for availing the benefits of the old-age pension was lowered from 80 years to 70 years. Today lakh of old people were being provided Rs 1500 pension per month.

Besides, 3.25 lakh gas connections were provided to the eligible families under the Grihini Suvidha Yojana while as many as 2.07 lakh families have been benefitted under the HIMCARE Yojana.

Under Mukhya Mantri Sahara Yojana, Rs 3000 per month is being provided to families with critically ill patients and about 17,000 people have been registered under this scheme,” he added.

He stated that all these schemes have transformed the economy of the state and its people but the Congress government did nothing for the welfare of the common man as they were busy with their own development.

The steps taken by the state government in tackling the spread of Coronavirus had been appreciated by the Prime Minister and by other states.

Congress remained in power for about 50 years in the state as well as at the Centre but about three years back, there were only two oxygen plants in the state and today the state has 32 PSA oxygen plants.

In addition, there were only 50 ventilators in the state when this pandemic broke out and he took up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and immediately 500 new ventilators were provided under the PM CARES for the state.

Today there were over 1000 fully functional ventilators in various hospitals in the state, he added.

He directed the contractors to ensure that all the developmental works were completed well in time otherwise strict action would be taken against them.