Other States - Himachal Pradesh   

`Free land for the homeless under study'

Staff Correspondent

SHIMLA: Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday announced that his government was considering giving free land to homeless and landless people to construct houses. Power to allot the land will be given to the Deputy Commissioners of the districts, he said.

Mr. Singh was speaking at a function marking 36th Statehood Day in Ponta Sahib region of Sirmaur district. He also announced opening of a Polytechnic College in Sirmaur.

He said Statehood was granted by Mrs. Indira Gandhi after consistent efforts made by the first Chief Minister of the State Y. S. Parmar. Mr. Singh claimed that a big share of the State's budget was going to social sector and welfare of the poor. More than two lakh people are getting social security pensions and there are 15,000 educational institutions in the hill state.

He said three degree colleges were opened at Rajgarh, Shillai and Sangrah in Sirmaur district in the past one year. He maintained that Himachal was poised to achieve total literacy in the next few years.

The Chief Minister averred that the State had succeeded in attracting an investment of over Rs. 17,500 crores during the last two-and-a-half years.

He said 6067 MW of hydro electric potential out of 21,000 MWs available has been exploited in the State. The Chief Minister said Rs. 700 crores had been sanctioned by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to the State for connecting the unconnected Gram Panchayats with motorable roads and for providing adequate water to about 6,030 partially covered villages.

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`Free land for the homeless under study'

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