Shimla, Jan 1 Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Wednesday announced the Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) would be renamed after late former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in a tribute.
He praised Dr Singh’s policies that helped the development of India and Himachal Pradesh and said that his efforts brought many benefits and recognition to the state.
Dr Singh passed away on December 26, 2024, at the age of 92. Born on September 26, 1932, in Gah in Punjab, now in Pakistan, he was a distinguished economist and politician who served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014.
Presiding over the 50th anniversary celebrations of the HIPA, the Chief Minister unveiled its coffee table book. He also inaugurated the training programme for special educators at the institute in which 80 teachers would take part and would continue till January 3.
He said this programme would equip teachers with modern techniques for educating children with special needs and would offer an alternative to the traditional Braille method. As a part of inclusive development, the Chief Minister announced an increase in the monthly pension for visually impaired children rising from Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,000 per month until the age of 27.
He said this change would be incorporated into the upcoming budget. He said the government was taking this significant step to make the visually impaired self-reliant.
Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh annually generates an income of Rs 16,000 crore, while the expenditure on salaries and pensions amounts to Rs 27,000 crore. He emphasised the need for a sustainable financial roadmap and called for collective efforts and support from all sections of society so as to increase the state's income and secure a prosperous future.
He said that over the past two years, the present government has worked diligently to stabilise the derailed financial condition for which employees and officials have provided their support to the government.
Congratulating the officials and employees of HIPA on the completion of 50 years of its establishment, he said good governance "has been the core mantra of the Congress government and effective technology-based training programmes for officials is essential to achieve good governance".
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