The state level function of 52^nd Statehood Day was celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm at historic Thodo ground in Solan, where Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur unfurled the Tricolor and took salute from the contingents of Police, IRB Jungalberi, Home Guards and, NCC girls etc.

The parade was commanded by probationer DSP Pranav Chauhan.

While addressing the people of the State on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the State has recently implemented new pay scales for employees of the State Government ensuring benefits of about Rs 6000 crore to about 2.25 lakh employees. He said that it was felt that few disparities existed in the new pay scales of few categories. He announced that now the employees would be given third option besides two options already given to them.

He announced that pensioners of the State Government would also be given pension as per the new pay scales of Punjab government. This would benefit about 1.75 lakh pensioners by providing financial benefits of about Rs 2000 crore. He also announced 31 per cent DA to all the employees of the State at par with the Central Government employees. He said that this would provide financial benefits of Rs 500 crore to the employees of the State.

He announced increase in annual income for availing the benefits of various welfare schemes and pensions for the weaker sections of the society from existing Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000. He said that benefits of higher scales would be provided immediately to all those constables who were eligible for higher scales. He announced that all the constables appointed after 2015 would be eligible for higher scale as per other categories of employees 

The Chief Minister announced that the domestic consumers of the state whose electricity consumption is up to 60 units per month would not be charged any fee per electricity unit.  They would be incurred zero cost per unit of electricity consumed. With this decision, domestic consumers whose electricity consumption is up to 125 units, would be charged only one rupee per unit cost.  Over 11 lakh domestic consumers would be benefitted from this decision and the State government would incur an additional expenditure of Rs 60 crore on providing this relief. 

In order to give relief to the farmers in the state, he announced to reduce the present per unit cost of electricity from 50 paise to 30 paise.  This benefit will be payable from April, 2022. 

Jai Ram Thakur while congratulating the people of the State on this historic occasion said that today this day was also observed as the closing ceremony of celebrations organised to commemorate the Golden Jubilee year of statehood of Himachal Pradesh. He paid rich tributes to the founder of Himachal Pradesh and first Chief Minister of the State Dr Y.S. Parmar for laying sound foundation for development of the State. He also paid rich tributes to all the freedom fighters and soldiers who laid down their lives for guarding frontiers of the Nation.

While tracing the developmental history of the State, Chief Minister said that the State of Himachal Pradesh has made unparallel development in all spheres. He said that in the year 1971, the per capita income of the state was only Rs 651 which has increased to Rs. 1,83,286, the GDP of the State has gone up from Rs 223 crore in 1971 to Rs 1,56,522 crore. He said that literacy rate of the State has gone up to 82.80 percent which was 23 percent in 1971. The agricultural production in the state has increased from 954 metric tons to 1500 metric tons and food grain production in 1971 was 9.40 lakh MT which has increased to 16.74 lakh MT.

Jai Ram Thakur said that despite the Corona pandemic, the present State Government during last four years has worked with new zeal and innovative thoughts to give new dimension to the development of all parts of the state. The State Government has taken Himachal to new heights of development by imbibing the basic mantra ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for balanced and holistic development and welfare of all sections of the society. He said that the people of the State were fortunate to have the affection and benevolence of the Prime Minister.  

Chief Minister said that State Government during these four years made honest efforts to strengthen the state’s economy, providing social security to the elderly, creating employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth, ensuring women’s security and their socio-economic uplifitment, prosperity of farmers and horticulturists and backward sections of the society. He said that during the last four years 3108 km long roads and 240 bridges were constructed and 321 villages provided road connectivity. Jai Ram Thakur said 10 SDM offices have been opened during the present tenure of the State Government. He said that there were 2062 gram panchayats in 1971 and today there were 3615 panchayats, out of which 412 new panchayats were created by the present government.