DW BUREAU / shimla Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur presided over the closing ceremony of Saranahuli Mela organised at Prashar in District Mandi, today. While addressing a gathering in the premises of Prashar Rishi temple, the Chief Minister said that Saranahuli Mela has immense importance from spiritual, tourism, entertainment and trade point of view. He said the state government has made rigorous efforts to ensure road connectivity in the area to boost tourism potential and conservation of fairs and religious belief of the area. On this occasion, the Chief Minister announced upgradation of Government Middle School Khalbut to Government High School. He announced to include Prashar area under Nai Rahein Nai Manzilein scheme and construction of Mukhya Mantri Lok Bhavan. Jai Ram Thakur said that the work of Jwalapur-Prashar road with an outlay of Rs. 17 crore, improvement of Mandi-Katola-Bajora road with an expenditure of Rs. 15 crore and construction of Tihari-Kalang-Prashar-Pantos road with an expenditure of Rs. 7 crore was under progress. Improvement of Ghatasani-Barot road with an outlay of Rs. 25 crore, construction of Mini Secretariat at Paddar with an expenditure of Rs. 18 crore , construction of building of Narala College under Cluster University of Rs. 10.73 crore was also under progress. Apart from this, Rs. 81 crore were being prent to provide drinking water supply to 23 Gram Panchayats of the area. He said that Social Security Pension was being provided to 12072 eligible persons in Drang Assembly Constituency, About 7984 women were benefited under Mukhya Mnatri Grihini Suvidha Yojna and 10186 farmers were being covered under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna. The Chief Minister said that under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, an amount of Rs 35.20 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of 10 roads in the first phase, out of which the construction work of four roads have been completed and work on six roads was under progress. In the second phase an amount of Rs. 50.78 crore has been approved for the construction of 10 roads, out of which the construction work of five roads has been completed and construction work on five roads was under progress. He said that under NABARD, six roads at a cost of Rs. 43.84 crore were under construction. He said that the work of construction of 12 roads at a cost of Rs. 15.21 crore under the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan was in progress and construction work of two roads has been completed. Under this Plan, 14.480 km of unpaved roads and 6.545 km of metalled roads have been constructed. Work of Mandi-Kamand-Kataula-Bajora road at a cost of Rs.16.38 crore was under progress. He said that an amount of Rs. 85.47 crore has been sanctioned for the construction work of 47 buildings of various departments viz Education Department, Public Works Department, Animal Husbandry Department, Finance, Technical Education, Ayurvedic, Administrative Department, Police, Health etc. in Drang area. Out of which the construction work of 23 buildings has been completed and work on 24 projects were in progress. Earlier, Chief Minister paid obeisance at Prashar Rishi temple. MLA Drang Jawahar Thakur detailed about various developmental works in the area and thanked the Chief Minister for various developmental projects in the area. Pradhan, Gram Panchayat Shegli, Bimla Devi welcomed the Chief Minister on the occasion. Exhibition on various programmes and policies of state government were also installed on this occasion. MLA Rakesh Jamwal, President of Waqf Board Rajbali, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Ritika Jindal. (editor@dailyworld.in)