India News | CM Sukhu Lays Foundation of Himachal's First Digital Library

Shimla, Oct 19 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday laid the foundation stone of the first digital library of the state, to be built in Roda sector of Bilaspur at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore.

The library will have books in the digital format that can be accessed through the internet. More such digital libraries will be opened in 10 panchayats of Bilaspur district so that the rural people can benefit from them, the chief minister said.

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Sukhu also laid the foundation stone of a Krishi Bhavan to be constructed at a cost of Rs 5.18 crore in Dholra and directed officials to complete the construction work of these buildings within two years, according to a statement issued here.

Talking to the media on the sidelines of the function, the chief minister said the recent disaster in Himachal Pradesh has caused huge damage and to help the disaster-affected people, the state government has issued a special relief package of Rs 4,500 crore.

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The state has sent claims of Rs 12,000 crore related to the disaster to the central government, but there is hardly any hope for a special relief package, he said.

"I have personally met the prime minister and the home minster, besides other leaders of the Union Government and have also raised the issue with the BJP national president and urged them to release the funds as soon as possible as per the rules pertaining to the claims already sent," he said.

He said it was quite shocking that the BJP did not support the resolution moved in the Assembly to declare the natural calamity as a "national disaster" and to provide a special relief package to the state.

Responding to a media query about the strike by more than 4,500 Zila Parishad cadre employees demanding merger of their cadre with the Panchayati Raj Department, the chief minister said the state government is working seriously to solve their grievances and the employees should end their strike and return to work and help in the relief and rehabilitation works.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)