HARIPUR (Dehra) June 4– Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu kickstarted a slew of development works in the Dehra Assembly constituency, represented by his wife Kamlesh Thakur, stating, “Dehra mera hai,” and assuring speedy progress of long-pending works.
At a public meeting in Haripur, Sukhu approved ₹6 crore for upgrading the local hospital to an Adarsh Hospital as sought by Kamlesh, and announced an additional ₹2 crore for housing doctors and paramedical staff. He also sanctioned six specialist doctors for the upgraded facility.
Sukhu laid the foundation stone of the Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park at Bankhandi, pegged at ₹619 crore, calling it a flagship project of the Congress government. Phase 1 will see ₹150 crore spent on 43 enclosures. The zoo will feature 78 animal species, including Asiatic lions, gharial, and native birds, and include a wetland aviary.
During his two-day Dehra tour, the CM also inaugurated a new Degree College building at Dhaliara, launched a ₹26.82 crore critical care unit at Dehra Civil Hospital, and unveiled a statue of Prithviraj Chauhan at Dehra bypass.
He also handed over land allotment certificates to 89 Pong Dam oustees, resolving a five-decade demand. Each displaced poor family will receive ₹3 lakh financial aid for building homes, he announced.
Meanwhile, in Shimla, Sukhu expressed grief over the death of Lance Naik Manish Thakur of the Dogra Regiment from Baraban village in Nahan. He assured full state support to the bereaved family.
