The Newz Radar
DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said that the government would open Jal Shakti Mandal in all Assembly constituencies.
On the third day of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly winter session at Dharamshala, the Chief Minister, in response to a question raised by BJP MLA from Kangra Pawan Kajal related to Jal Shakti Mandal, said that three of the mandals which were closed towards the end of the previous government had been re-opened.
The CM said that as the economic situation improved, the mandals would be opened in all circles. He said in the Assembly constituencies where there was no Jal Shakti Mandal, these would be opened on a priority basis.
He told the Opposition BJP that the latter had opened eight Jal Shakti Mandal when they were voted out. He said that the Congress government wanted to open mandals in all 68 constituencies.
BJP MLA Randhir Sharma raised a question on the reopening of the Jal Shakti Mandal in Nadaun (CM Sukhu’s home constituency) and sought to know what policy had been adopted for this. Sharma also said that the previous government had opened the Jal Shakti Department’s division at Kothipura for AIIMS-Bilaspur, which too was closed. He demanded that the government should immediately open other closed mandals, including in Naina Devi.
In reply, Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri said that the same formula was used in Nadaun as in Rajgarh. He said that he respected women. He said that Jal Shakti Mandals would be opened in all circles, including Naina Devi.
Earlier, leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that the government had earlier closed 1,000 such institutions, which were running for eight to nine months. He said that the Jal Shakti Mandal opened at Balichoki in his home seat Seraj was closed too.
