Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday said the main objective of the “Swarnim Himachal Rath Yatra” is to ensure active participation of every Himachali in it and to instil a sense of belongingness in the residents of the state. After a meeting of the State Level Executive Committee of Rath Yatra, Thakur said the Yatra would commence from 15 April on the occasion of Himachal Day and cover all the 3615 Gram Panchayats and other Urban Local Bodies areas during its 51 days journey. “The Yatra would focus on showcasing the glorious 50 years developmental journey of Himachal Pradesh. Besides, active participation of Ministers, MLAs and elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies must be ensured to make the event a success,” he added. He further stated that Swarnim Himachal Rath Yatra would ensure reaching out to approximately 25 lakh people of the State through Rath Yatra and social media. He directed that all the major departments of the state must ensure their participation and highlight the achievements of their respective departments. “The main focus would be on highlighting the achievements, policies and programmes of the state government for which the departments must provide their promotional IEC material and brochures to highlight their developmental journey so that the same could be showcased through the digital Rath Yatra. Further, efforts should also be made to rope in the local and national level artists and cultural troupes to entertain the people and highlight the glorious journey of the state through street plays, skits and songs,” he said. Thakur said events such as ‘Swarnim Etihaas Par Charcha’, quiz competitions, debates and painting competitions should also be organized at local level to ensure active participation and involvement of youth and students. The Chief Minister added that State Level Sub Committees should also be formed to conceptualize and plan the entire Swarnim Rath Yatra programme and these Sub Committees will ensure implementation and monitoring of the entire programme. Nahan MLA and chairman of State Level Executive Committee of Rath Yatra, Rajiv Bindal said that apart from ensuring a detailed presentation on 50 years of glorious journey, efforts should also be made to highlight the targets and roadmap for development of the state for the next 50 years. Special secretary Arindam Chaudhary made a detailed presentation on the proposed Swarnim Himachal Rath Yatra.

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