Himachal CM inaugurates new state Secretariat building in Shimla

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 15 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday inaugurated State Secretariat Armsdale Building Phase-III here constructed at a cost of Rs 43.07 crore.

The eight-storeyed building has modern amenities and has parking facilities for 123 four-wheelers and 60 two-wheelers. It includes various offices such as the Disaster Management Cell, Command and Control Centre, Tribal Development Office, Conference Hall, Meeting Hall, and rooms for officers and drivers as well as branches of State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank, an official release said.

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 the new building is a sign of the government's commitment to keeping pace with modern technology. He also emphasized the importance of employees' contribution to implementing the policies and programmes of the State government in an effective manner.

CM Sukhu 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 development path, then the development works have to be expedited.

CM further said that the State Government was working with commitment to the welfare of the employees and despite the economic crunch, a three per cent dearness allowance has been released to the employees and pensioners of the State.

Earlier, the Chief Minister also performed puja on the occasion.