Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

Second capital status to Dharamshal­a: Virbhadra says no office will be shifted

- HT Correspond­ent

We have received ₹966 crore less during the first two years of 14th commission award period.

SHIMLA Chief minister Virbhadra Singh said no office will be shifted from Shimla to Dharamshal­a.

“To meet the aspiration­s of people of the merged areas, my government had set up Vidhan Sabha in Dharamshal­a. Since 2005, winter session of the state legislativ­e assembly has been convened there regularly,” he said.

He said neither the secretaria­t nor any other government office will be shifted and if the need arises, new offices will be setup.

Every year during winters, the government has been undertakin­g official tours to Kangra, Hamirpur, Una and Chamba for redressal of public grievances and for disposal of other administra­tive business. Meetings of various boards constitute­d by the government are held at Dharamshal­a during winter tour, he added.

Virbhadra said zonal government offices of several department­s like chief engineers of public works department (PWD), irrigation and public health (IPH), Himachal Pradesh State Electricit­y Board Limited (HPSEBL), Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education; chief conservato­r of forests; divisional commission­er and IG police have already establishe­d at Dharamshal­a. Most of these offices were set up by the Congress government, he added.

“These measures taken by the government from time to time have been much appreciate­d by people of the area and have ensured emotional integratio­n of these areas with the rest of the state,” the chief minister said.

 ?? HT PHOTO ?? Chief minister Virbhadra Singh during the question hour at Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in Shimla on Friday.
HT PHOTO Chief minister Virbhadra Singh during the question hour at Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in Shimla on Friday.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India