Himachal to get new power, mining policy: thakur

Shimla, April 9 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh will soon have a new electricity and mining policy and steps have been initiated to boost its tourism potential, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on

Monday. "We will soon bring a mining policy to check illegal mining and generate more revenue," Thakur told reporters. Narrating the achievements of his Bharatiya Janata Party

government on completing 100 days at the helm, the Chief Minister said they would also bring a new policy to facilitate the tapping of hydro power generation. "It's not a big time

(100 days), but we tried to bring and implement new initiatives," the 53-year-old leader said. "We have tried to focus our policies for all -- be it farmers or fruit growers or

women or the senior citizens. We have simultaneously launched 30 new schemes and this was for the first time," he added. Thakur also stressed that his government will have a clear focus

on promoting tourism. "Earlier, there was only provision of providing funds for disbursing salaries of the staff of the Tourism Department. Now, we have allocated funds for the

development of tourism infrastructure," he added. "We have set 472 targets on the basis of the public feedback and fixed time-frames to achieve them," he added. Thakur and his

11 ministers -- half of them first-timers -- took oath of office on December 27 here in 2017. It was attended among others by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah. The

BJP won a majority with 44 seats in the 68-member state assembly. Thakur, who rose through the ranks and is known for his humble, clean and low-profile nature, is the first Chief Minister

from Mandi, the second biggest district of Himachal after Kangra. (This story was auto-published from a syndicated feed. No part of the story has been edited by THE QUINT.)