Subhash mahajan
Chamba
The 77th district-level Van Mahotsav was celebrated with great enthusiasm in Gram Panchayat Turkra under Bhatiyat Assembly constituency. The event was organized by the Chamba Forest Division and inaugurated by Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, who attended as the chief guest. He formally launched the festival with traditional prayers and planted a sapling of Chambe ka Ped.
Addressing the gathering, Speaker Pathania emphasized the importance of conserving water, forests, and land for environmental balance. He highlighted the state government’s Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana, launched last year to encourage community participation in forest management and expansion. He noted that self-help groups, women’s groups, youth clubs, and village forest committees are gaining livelihood opportunities through this initiative, while also contributing to conservation.
He urged residents not to set forest fires and to immediately inform the forest department of such incidents. He also appealed for maximum plantation during the current season.
Discussing development in Bhatiyat, Pathania said that ₹109 crore is being spent under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, connecting nearly 50 villages with road facilities, with another 50 villages to be linked in the next 18 months. He informed that ₹4 crore has been spent on the DPR of the Chamba–Chuwari tunnel, with land acquisition now underway. The 13‑km tunnel, costing about ₹2,600 crore, will be built on BOT basis. Efforts are also being made to bring the Dramman–Chuwari–Chamba via Jot road under NHAI for better connectivity.
He announced that the proposed sports stadium at Chuwari has received forest clearance, with ₹67 lakh deposited, and construction tenders will be invited soon, aiming for completion by June 2027.
On healthcare, Pathania said that 8 doctors are currently serving at Civil Hospital Chuwari, providing 24‑hour services. A CT scan facility will be introduced shortly, and the old hospital building will be replaced with a new one. He added that ₹20 crore is being spent on constructing the Primary Health Centre at Samot, to be completed by December, with round‑the‑clock services. The Singhuta PHC will also be upgraded into a 25‑bed Community Health Centre.
Responding to local demands, he assured the construction of a playground for the Government Primary School Turkra, a community hall in the panchayat, a road to Chodna village, and a rain shelter.
Earlier, Forest Conservator Rakesh Kumar welcomed the chief guest and shared details about the festival, stressing the importance of public cooperation in preventing forest fires and protecting wildlife. State Forest Corporation Director Krishna Chand Chela also addressed the gathering, while DFO Kuldeep Jamwal expressed gratitude to all participants for their contribution to the successful event.
The programme was attended by dignitaries including BDC Bhatiyat Chairman Lal Singh, Nagar Panchayat Chuwari Chairperson Nikita Jamwal, Vice‑Chairman Surender Chadak, Block Congress leaders Vijay Kanwar and Mayank Mahajan, Block Mahila Congress President Shalu Sharma, SDM Bhatiyat Manish Soni, DSP Sher Singh, engineers and officers from PWD, HPSEBL, and other departments, along with Panchayat representatives and local citizens.
