Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar’s 118th birth anniversary celebrated
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu chaired the state level programme organised on the 118th birth anniversary of founder of Himachal Pradesh Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar at Vidhan Sabha today. The
Chief Minister said that Dr. Parmar led an inspirational life and as a result of his love for the state of Himachal and its people, he laid strong foundation for the overall development of the state.
He added: “Dr. Parmar was a great personality who used to think well ahead of his times. He dedicated his entire life for the welfare of Himachal and its people”. It was the dream of Dr. Parmar to see Himachal progressing in all fields, said the Chief Minister adding that today Himachal has become a model of ideal development among the hilly states. Sh. Sukhu credited Dr. Parmar for scripting a new history for Himachal and changing its geography. He said that it was because of the continuous and untiring efforts of Dr. Parmar that Himachal got its separate identity as a hilly state with a rich and distinct culture, tradition and language. The Chief Minister also attributed the credit for the expansion of state boundaries by merger of new areas into Himachal to the tireless efforts by Dr. Parmar.
Dr. Parmar is also known as preserver and promoter of Himachal’s rich culture and environment, and always paid great respect and importance to preservation of forest and wildlife. “It was Dr. Parmar who laid the roadmap for making Himachal a green state,” said the Chief Minister.
Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stressed upon the importance of following the principles and path shown by Dr. Parmar. He added that the State Government was working with the vision to ensure a bright future for Himachal Pradesh. Despite financial crunch, the government was making certain the state moves ahead on the path of development. The government was bring quality changes in every sector, including education, hydro electricity, tourism, health, agriculture, horticulture and food processing etc. “The government was making policy changes with a positive mindset. As a result of better management of resources, the government has earned an additional revenue of Rs. 2200 crore in a year. The Government was making sure that the benefits of its policies and programme reaches the last person standing in the queue,” remarked the Chief Minister.
On the occasion, Sh. Sukhu released the book ‘Parmar: Himachal ke Shilpkar’ by Dr. Anshuk Attri and Dr. RajenderAttri, and another book in English ‘The crafting of Himachal Prades’ by Dr. Anshuk Atri.
He also attended an exhibition on the life of Dr. Parmar and paid tributes by garlanding his portrait.
Earlier, the Chief Minister paid floral tributes to Dr. Parmar at the Ridge on his statue and witnessed a photo exhibition based on his life.
Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania also paid floral tribute to Dr. Parmar and said that he has made a huge contribution in the formation of Himachal Pradesh. He said that at the time of formation of Himachal Pradesh, the financial condition of the state was not good, but Dr. Y.S. Parmar faced those challenges strongly and brought the state out of big obstacles.
He added that Dr. Parmar played an important role in getting the Statehood status for Himachal in the year 1971. The work done by him in the interest of the state will always be remembered. He also authored many inspirational books based on Himachal’s culture and traditions which are serving as guiding principles for the state. The government was moving ahead with strong willpower with the idea of making the state a self-reliant state. Dr. Parmar’s far-sighted thinking is being realized by the efforts of the State Government. He always preserved and promoted the culture of Himachal and gave the state a special identity.
Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Vinay Kumar thanked Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the dignitaries on the occasion. He said that every person has respect and reverence for the founder of Himachal Dr. Parmar. He lead a life of simplicity, truthfulness and honesty and was a source of inspiration for all. Dr. Parmar envisioned a developed Himachal and today we are continuously moving ahead towards achieving this goal.
On this occasion, a documentary produced by the Information and Public Relations Department based on the life of Dr. Parmar was also screened.
Health Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, Agriculture Minister Prof. Chander Kumar, Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mohan Lal Barakta and Ram Kumar, Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, Vice Chairman State Planning Board Bhawani Singh Pathania, MLAs Sanjay Ratan, Jeet Ram Katwal, Malender Rajan, Harish Janartha, Captain Ranjit Singh Rana, Mayor Shimla Municipal Corporation Surender Chauhan, Vice Chairman Himachal Pradesh Forest Development Corporation Kehar Singh Khachi, former Assembly Speakers Kaul Singh Thakur and Dr. Radha Raman Shastri, former MLAs, former Mayor MC Shimla, public representatives, Director Information and Public Relations Rajiv Kumar, Director Language and Art Culture Department Dr. Pankaj Lalit, Secretary Legislative Assembly Yashpal Sharma, MC Commissioner Bhupender Attri and other dignitaries also paid floral tribute to Dr. Y.S. Parmar.