category Regional, kaza (hp), , tags Regional, kaza (hp), , DW BUREAU Kaza (HP) Bordering China, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Saturday unfurled the national flag at the height of 12,000 at the state-level Himachal Day function here and announced three per cent dearness allowance (DA) for 2.15 lakh employees and 90,000 retired employees. This was for the first time that the state-level function was held in Kaza, around 325 km from the state capital, in remote Lahaul-Spiti district. After unfurling the tricolor, the Chief Minister conveyed his greetings to the people and expressed gratitude to Yashwant Singh Parmar, the first Chief Minister of the state. The decision to hike DA would put an additional burden of about Rs 500 crore on the state s exchequer, an official statement said. He also announced a pension of Rs. 1500 to all the 9000 women of Spiti above 18 years of age from June 2023 in the second phase, a college and to make 50 bedded Community Health Centre (CHC) in Kaza operational. He said that the State government would take up the issue of developing an airstrip at Rangrik in Spiti Valley with the Defence Ministry. Besides, being important from strategic point of view this will also help in boosting tourism activities. He said that besides constructing a heliport at Rongtong and a road to cost Rs 34 crore would also be constructed from Atargu to Mud in Pin Valley, as part of the third phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Additionally, the Government would also prioritize the construction of a road to connect Bhawa with Mud, which will the world s highest altitude road. He said that a star-gazing observatory would be set up in the Fossil Village Langza, which is a paradise for stargazers with the assistance of Union Government s. The land has been identified for setting up Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding School at Shego near Kaza, which would prove to be a significant development in the education sector, he said. The Chief Minister said that the government has established the Chief Minister s Sukh-Ashray Kosh with an initial provision of Rs 101 crore to provide support to orphan children. The government has adopted around 6,000 orphan children as Children of the State under the Yojna. He said that the government has brought 1.36 lakh government employees under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) thus fulfilling its promise of restoring the OPS, besides to provide a monthly pension of Rs 1500 to 2.31 lakh women of the state in a phased manner. Under Widow and Ekal Nari Awas Yojana, 7000 such women would be given financial assistance to construct houses in this fiscal. Besides, The Land Holding Ceiling Act, 1972 has been amended to provide equal rights to daughters in property ownership of ancestral property, he added. The Chief Minister said that the government aims to make the state self-reliant and strengthen its economy through new initiatives. The state has set a target to become a green energy state by March 2026 and the government has entered into an agreement for the Green Hydrogen and Ammonia Project, which will create over 3500 employment opportunities and attract an investment of over Rs 4,000 crore. The state has declared 6 green corridors, providing facilities for electric vehicles. Private operators purchasing electric buses, trucks, taxis, autos and e-goods carriers would be given 50 percent subsidy in order to promote the use of electric vehicles, said Sukhu. (editor dailyworld.in)