Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday virtually inaugurated the new office of the Himachal Pradesh State Commission for Backward Classes in Dharamsala, marking a significant step in the state's decentralisation policy. The office has been shifted from the capital Shimla to Dharamsala to improve access for the large Other Backward Classes (OBC) population in Kangra and neighbouring districts.
Decentralisation Drive
Addressing the inaugural function virtually from the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat in Shimla, Sukhu said the relocation would spare people the inconvenience of travelling to the state capital and ensure quicker and more accessible services. He highlighted that Kangra had been declared the tourism capital of Himachal and that several government offices were being shifted to the district, with more relocations planned in the coming years.
The CM also directed the Deputy Commissioner of Kangra to make necessary arrangements for opening an office of the Himachal Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in Dharamsala at the earliest.
Welfare Commitments
Reiterating the government's commitment to backward and tribal communities, Sukhu said efforts were underway to secure OBC status for the Dodra Kwar area in Shimla district and Scheduled Tribe status for the Bara Bhangal area in Kangra district.
Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Commission for Backward Classes, Prabhat Chaudhary, welcomed the CM and thanked the state government for shifting the Commission's office to Dharamsala. He said the move would significantly benefit the OBC population of Kangra and neighbouring districts by making the Commission's services more accessible.
Event Attendees
State Congress Committee president Vinay Kumar, MLAs Suresh Kumar, Vinod Sultanpuri and Sudarshan Bablu, along with former MLA Satpal Raizada, attended the programme in Shimla with the CM. Commission members Rakesh Chaudhary, Advocate Kashmir Singh Bharati and Rajiv Rana, along with Kangra DC Hemraj Bairwa, participated in the event from Dharamsala.
