Una, February 5: Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu participated in the annual religious congregation organized by the Shri Radhakrishna Temple Committee in Kotla Kalan, Una. On this occasion, he offered prayers at the temple and sought blessings from National Saint Baba Bal Ji Maharaj.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is continuously engaged in public welfare work in the spirit of Karma Yoga, as preached in the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, which emphasizes performing one's duty without worrying about the results. He said that the state government is implementing schemes for the welfare of women, common people, and the poor with a sensitive, inclusive, and humane approach.
He said that under the Chief Minister Sukh-Ashray Yojana, the state government is playing the role of parents for orphaned children. Himachal Pradesh is the first state in the country to grant legal status of 'Children of the State' to 6,000 orphaned children in the state. The state government is taking responsibility for the education, health, and overall care of these orphaned children until they reach the age of 27. He said that under this scheme, each child is being given a monthly pocket money of Rs. 4,000, while all other needs, including education, accommodation, and health, are being managed by the government.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is ensuring that no student is deprived of higher education due to financial constraints. For this purpose, the Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar Student Loan Scheme has been launched, under which education loans of up to Rs. 20 lakh are being provided at an interest rate of only one percent.
He said that this was his second visit to the Shri Radhakrishna Temple, and he always receives spiritual energy and blessings from this place. He said that he will continue to fight for the rights of the people of Himachal Pradesh with the cooperation of the public and the blessings of God.
On this occasion, Baba Bal Ji Maharaj blessed the Chief Minister and said that with the grace of God, the Chief Minister is working for the welfare of the entire Himachal Pradesh. He said that the Chief Minister's family is deeply rooted in religious traditions and that they are working with dedication and devotion for the people of the state. He added that during the recent disaster in the state, the temple committee had also contributed Rs. 5 lakh to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
Present on the occasion were MLA Rakesh Kalia, Vivek Sharma, Sudarshan Singh Bablu, former Una MLA Satpal Singh Raizada, Chairman of the State Scheduled Castes Commission Kuldeep Kumar, Advocate General Anoop Ratna, District Congress President Deshraj Gautam, SC Commission member Advocate Vijay Dogra, Deputy Commissioner Jatin Lal, Superintendent of Police Amit Yadav, and other dignitaries.