category Regional, shimla, , tags Regional, shimla, , DW BUREAU Shimla Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday inaugurated the new Secretariat building, built at a cost of Rs 43.07 crore and featuring all modern amenities.The eight-storey Armsdale Building Phase III will house offices of the Disaster Management Cell, Command and Control Centre and the Tribal Development Office, besides conference and meeting halls, rooms for officers and branches of the State Bank of India and the Punjab National Bank. On the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the old building of the Secretariat is a heritage building, where many historic decisions have been taken for the welfare of the society. He said that the new building is a sign of the government s commitment to keep pace with modern technology. He also emphasized the importance of employees contribution in implementing the policies and programmes of the State Government in an effective manner. He said that the State was going through tough economic conditions, but expressed his confidence that Himachal Pradesh can become self-reliant in the coming four years, for which the State government was taking economically prudent decisions. He said that the cooperation of the employees was also crucial in this regard. The Chief Minister said that the present state government has also taken decisions to enhance its financial resources and many tough decisions will be taken in the coming times. Furthermore, changes were also being made at the administrative level. He said that if the State has to move fast on the path of development, then the development works have to be expedited. He said that the role of the officers and employees of the Secretariat was vital in implementing the schemes of the government on the ground and everyone should work with full devotion and cooperate with the state government. He said that the State Government was working with commitment to the welfare of the employees and despite the economic crunch, three percent dearness allowance has been released to the employees and pensioners of the state. He said that the NPS money is with the Central Government and the employees would have to cooperate in getting it back to the State Government its share. Earlier, the Chief Minister also performed puja on the occasion. Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena welcomed the Chief Minister and said that after assuming the office of Chief Minister, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has given new momentum to the administration and has given new challenges to the work. The new building of the Secretariat is a message to the entire State that the new government is functioning with a commitment to their welfare. (editor dailyworld.in)