Shiv Dham will be constructed at Mandi by spending an amount of over Rs. 150 and would be an added attraction for the tourists visiting Mandi district, Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Saturday.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone of Shiv Dham Phase-I at Mandi, Thakur said that the credit of this goes to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who helped the State in getting clearance of Shiv Dham project and 604 other projects hanging in fire for need of forest clearances.

The first Phase of this project would be completed at a cost of Rs. 40 crore. Thakur He also laid the foundation stone of multi-storey parking near U-Block to be constructed at an estimated cost of about Rs. 100 crore on Public Private Partnership mode.

Thakur said that a Rs. 27 crore Anaj Mandi (Grain Market) would be constructed in Mandi town as soon as the State gets forest clearances. He said that the Finance Commission has also recommended Rs. 1000 crore for Greenfield Airport Mandi and Rs. 400 crore for expansion of Kangra Airport.

The Chief Minister said that the Shiv Dham would be developed in an area of 9.5 hectare at Kangnidhar and would be a major attraction for the tourists visiting Chhoti Kashi Mandi. He said that the Shiv Dham would have replicas of twelve Jyotirlingam, statues of Lord Shiva and Ganesh, Museum, Food Court, Herbal Garden, Nakshatra Vatika, Amphi-theatre, Orientation Centre, Car Parking etc. 

He said that developmental projects worth Rs. 300 crore were being executed during the last three years in Mandi town. The Chief Minister said that the present State Government has completed three years in office and this was possible due to the active support and cooperation of the people of the State. He said that the new responsibility also brought in new challenges, but with peoples’ cooperation every challenge was converted into opportunity. He said that in the first round of the test, the BJP won all the four seats in Parliament with a record margin.

CONDEMNS BEHAVIOUR OF CONG MLAs

Jai Ram Thakur said that the act and conduct of the Leader of Opposition and other MLAs of Congress in Vidhan Sabha was indeed highly condemnable and against the rich tradition of the culture of the State. He said that this shows that the Congress today was a leaderless, directionless and issueless party. He said that there was a competition between the leaders of Congress to exhibit their supremacy to catch the attention of their Central leaders.

State In-charge BJP Avinash Rai Khanna said that the incident that took place yesterday in Vidhan Sabha was uncalled for and unwarranted. He said that the Congress leaders stooped so low by indulging in hooliganism and manhandling even the Governor.

He said that this has badly damaged the image of the Dev Bhumi, that has the reputation of being an abode of gods and God fearing people.

 He said that people of the State would give a befitting reply to the Congress in 2022 assembly elections and before that in elections to all the Municipal Corporations.