Munish sood
Mandi
Mandi came alive with patriotic spirit on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, as the district-level celebrations were held with grandeur at Seri Manch on Saturday.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, who presided over the समारोह, unfurled the national flag and inspected the parade before taking the salute of a ceremonial march-past by contingents of the Himachal Pradesh Police, Home Guards, NCC, NSS and Scouts and Guides.
Before the main ceremony, the minister paid floral tributes at the Martyrs’ Memorial at Indira Market and garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, remembering the freedom fighters and soldiers whose sacrifices laid the foundation of the nation’s freedom and security.
Extending Independence Day greetings, Singh said the nation would always remain indebted to freedom fighters and brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice for India’s freedom and a better future. He also recalled Himachal Pradesh’s significant contribution to the freedom movement and the defence of the country.
500-kW solar projects to power every panchayat
In a significant announcement, Singh said the state government was implementing the Green Panchayat Programme, under which 500-kW ground-mounted solar power projects would be established in panchayats across Himachal Pradesh.
He said 25 per cent of the revenue generated from these projects would be earmarked for the welfare of orphaned children and widows in the respective gram panchayats.
The minister said solar projects at Pekhubela, Bhanjal and Aghlaur, among others, had been completed in record time.
₹300-crore pasture programme to benefit 40,000 families
Emphasising the government’s focus on strengthening the rural economy, Singh said the procurement price of cow milk had been increased to ₹61 per litre, while buffalo milk would be procured at ₹71 per litre. In Mandi district alone, around 21,000 milk-producing families are benefiting from the enhanced prices.
He said the Himachal Pradesh Pasture Policy-2026 had been approved to strengthen the livelihoods of pastoral and livestock-dependent communities. A dedicated ₹300-crore programme has also been sanctioned under the policy, which is expected to benefit more than 40,000 families.
Natural farming gets a boost
Singh said the Rajiv Gandhi Natural Farming Startup Scheme was aimed at promoting natural farming and improving farmers’ incomes.
The support price for naturally grown wheat has been fixed at ₹80 per kg, maize at ₹50, raw turmeric at ₹150, ginger at ₹30 and barley from Pangi Valley at ₹80 per kg.
In Mandi district, he said, the initiative had resulted in the procurement of 1,041 quintals of maize, 644 quintals of wheat and nearly 233 quintals of turmeric during the past two years.
Horticulture expansion to cover thousands of farmers
Highlighting the potential of horticulture to transform the rural economy, the minister said the first phase of the HP SHIVA project was developing 2,612 hectares across the state.
In Mandi, 93 clusters covering nearly 997 hectares have been established, benefiting around 3,920 farmers. More than 8,000 farmers in the district have received assistance worth nearly ₹69 crore under various horticulture development schemes.
He said a comprehensive horticulture policy involving an investment of ₹1,292 crore was being implemented across seven districts. The programme aims to cover 6,000 hectares, benefit more than 82,000 horticulturists, facilitate the plantation of 60 lakh fruit plants and generate an additional 1.30 lakh metric tonnes of fruit production by 2032.
₹517 crore development push in Mandi
Singh said strengthening rural infrastructure remained a key priority. During the past three-and-a-half years, around ₹15 crore had been spent on constructing 225 panchayat buildings and community centres in Mandi district.
Under the Viksit Bharat Rozgar Guarantee and Aajeevika Mission (Rural), development works worth ₹517 crore are being undertaken in the district during the current financial year.
Around ₹2 crore has been spent under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), while 1,236 self-help groups have received assistance of nearly ₹25.79 crore under the National Rural Livelihood Mission. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, ₹6.37 crore has been spent on constructing 1,091 houses.
‘Apna Pustakalaya’ initiative launched
The minister also launched the ‘Apna Pustakalaya–Adhyayan Kaksh’ initiative in Mandi district, under which study rooms are being established in 55 de-notified school buildings.
The initiative will provide students and aspirants preparing for competitive examinations with dedicated study spaces while ensuring productive use and proper maintenance of the buildings. The facilities will be managed and maintained by the respective gram panchayats.
Anti-drug pledge administered
The Independence Day function also highlighted the ongoing Chitta Mukt Himachal campaign. Singh said anti-drug committees were holding regular meetings at the panchayat level, while special awareness campaigns were being conducted in 24 high-risk gram panchayats of Mandi district.
A pledge against drug abuse was administered during the ceremony.
The celebrations also featured colourful cultural performances by students and various cultural groups, besides the screening of video songs and a documentary prepared by the Department of Information and Public Relations.
Earlier, the minister planted an araucaria sapling near the Martyrs’ Memorial under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign. He later honoured individuals and organisations for outstanding contributions in various fields and felicitated participating parade contingents and cultural groups.
A large number of dignitaries, elected representatives, freedom fighters’ dependants, Veer Naris, ex-servicemen, administrative and police officials, representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies, and members of various social and political organisations attended the celebrations.
