President RN Kovind addresses special Session of HP Assembly

Shimla, NewsonRadar Bureau, Sep.17:President Ram Nath Kovind  praised and “saluted the brave hearts from the state of Himachal” who are serving the nation.

Addressing a special one-hour session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly here to mark the Golden Jubilee of its statehood, the President pointed out that youth from almost every village of Himachal serve in armed forces. He said that Ram Singh Pathania, who laid down his life in the struggle against British rule, Param Vir Chakra – Major Somnath Sharma, Captain Vikram Batra, Subedar Sanjay Kumar – and many other heroes like Captain Saurabh Kalia have raised the head of the entire country and Himachal Pradesh. As the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, I salute all the brave soldiers of Himachal Pradesh for serving the nation,” he said. In his 18-minute address, he also said that the number of ex-servicemen in the state is more than 120000. The President said that the entire state should become ‘Sirmaur’ in terms of development in the entire country. ‘Sirmaur’, meaning crown, is one of the districts of Himachal Pradesh. He appreciated contributions made by former Chief Ministers – Late Dr YS Parmar, Late Thakur Ram Lal, Shanta Kumar, Prem Kumar Dhumal and Late Virbhadra Singh for the development of the hill state.

He noted that according to a report by NITI Aayog, Himachal ranks second in the country in the “Sustainable Development Goals – India Index 2020-21” Pointing to the fact that water of rivers of Himachal Pradesh is clean and soil is full of nutrients, the President urged the farmers of the state to adopt natural farming more and more and keep their land free from chemical fertilizers.

The President also said that eco-friendly agriculture, horticulture, tourism, education, employment – especially self-employment – etc. have immense potential for sustainable development in Himachal Pradesh. This state is full of natural beauty. Efforts should be made for carrying out development works while preserving its natural beauty and heritages, he added. Referring to the steps taken by the State Government for protection and conservation of environment, Kovind said that Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly became the first paperless legislative assembly of the country. It is a good example of efficient use of technology, protecting the environment and saving economic resources, he said.

The President also recited a Sanskrit ‘shloka’ on how the state is considered to be connected with “Mahadev Shankar and Parvati”. He also expressed condolences for the kin of those who had lost their lives during recent calamities in the state.

Kovind is the third President to address the Himachal Pradesh Assembly after A P J Abdul Kalam in 2003 and Pranab Mukherjee in 2013. He is on a four-day visit to Himachal and will leave for Delhi on Sunday. Sitting and former MLAs and MPs from Himachal Pradesh had also participated in the special session.