Shimla, August 12
The Himachal Pradesh Government would constitute a committee of officers soon to rationalise the policy of accommodation for the government to save money being spent to hire the private buildings for the offices.
Replying to a query raised by BJP member Ramesh Dhawala in state assembly during the Monsoon session today chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the government hired buildings on rent for 42 departments and is paying rent worth 13.41 Cr on the same.
The Chief Minister said that Dhawala is a member of the estimate committee of assembly therefore his intention to not spend huge amounts for hiring accommodation is justified. Chief minister said that the sum of money being spent on hiring buildings for so many offices is too high and needs to be rationalised. He said that Government would look into the possibility to rationalise hiring of accomodation in private buildings as a committee would be formed by government to give suggestions how the money could be saved. Replying to a supplementary query of Congress MLA Mukesh Agnihotri Chief Minister said that Industry Bhawan was shifted to Majithia House in Chhota Shimla. He said that after the closing of Himachal Pradesh Administrative Tribunal, the entire records of tribunal could not be accommodated in the allotted space in the high court in addition to old place at Majithalia House moreover this accomodation was far away from the Himachal Pradesh High court. The government decided to shift all the records of HPAT to Industry bhawan near the High court on the request of the judiciary. The records of Industry Bhawan also shift to Majitha house vice-versa.
The Chief Minister said that the Industry department also urged the government that the space provided was not enough. Now the state Government is searching for a new location to build up the Industrial Bhavan.
Decongesting Shimla city
Replying to another query of Sanjay Awasthi of Congress, Chief Minister said traffic congestion is increasing in the state capital . Chief Minister said that since large number of offices are in the heart of the town is also a cause for creating a traffic menace.
The Chief Minister said that a number of offices were shifted form the Mall road and Ridge to the suburbs of the towns to decongest the town however still there are a number of government institutions in the heart of town, which need to be shifted to resolve the traffic problem. The government would explore the possibility of shifting some more offices and government institutions to new less populated places to decongest the town, he said.
Mukesh Agnihotri said that state government shifted the Industry Bhavan to Majitha house in haste without consulting the industry departments. Dhwala said that as many as 1143 government buildings are lying unused and if they were not being used to be turned into ruins in the future.
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