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 Prof.
Prem Kumar Dhumal born to Capt. Mahant Ram and Smt. Phulmu Devi on
10.04.1944 in the Samirpur Village of Hamipur District, is married to Smt.
Sheela Dhumal. They have two sons, Arun & Anurag - who is also an MP and
the President of HPCA. Prof. Dhumal, having started his career
as an Assistant with the Life Insurance Corporation of India, has climbed to
the summit to be the Chief Minister with sheer hard work and
single-mindedness of the purpose. Prof. Dhumal is a multi-faceted
personality, he is an academician and having completed his Post Graduation
in English literature and a degree in Law, while, first working with LIC and
later as a teacher with the Panjabi University Evening College Jalandhar and
then Doaba College, Jalandhar city. He is a politician but a true
human being first, which has its bearings from the days when he was learning
the finer points of politics as an office bearer of the Punjab and
Chandigarh College teachers union. His political career has also started
from ground Zero i.e. from an ordinary party worker, then as an office
bearer of the Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha to the State BJP party
President in 1993. He has been a 3 time MP and 3rd time MLA. In 1998,
when he was first elected to the State Vidhan Sabha, he became the Chief
Minister of Himachal Pradesh. This is his 2nd tenure as the Chief Minister
of the state. His economic Philosophy is the upliftment of all, through the
optimum development of state potential so vividly reflected in the bold
initiatives in power sector, projects worth 6000 MW were started in his
first tenure as compared to a paltry 298 MW executed in the last fifty
years before his arrival. The wide spread road network and the easy
connectivity has earned him the sobriquet of "सड़क वाला
मुख्यमन्त्री".
His path breaking policy initiatives in
the Education sector ensured 3 pucca rooms in each primary School in the
state. This scheme was replicated in many states after being adopted by the
NABARD. Merit Scholarships guaranteed education to all sections and
development within the environmental limits resulted in conferment of Golden
Peacock award, twice, first for the most innovative management practices in
six key areas of governance and 2nd time for following the clean development
mechanisms and thus also becoming the ‘Green Chief Minister’. The
Development, ‘vision documents’ for various departments coupled with the
most liberal industrial package received by the state, were the other
highlights of the first tenure.
As the true champion of Himachali people,
ensured his return as the Chief Minister for the 2nd time with a massive
mandate, Prof. Dhumal got down to governance with the renewed vigour.
His motto of सड़क, शिक्षा,
स्वास्थ्य,
स्वरोजगार,
स्वावलम्बन
व स्वाभिमान
encompasses
the all inclusive growth formula for
all sections/regions of the state. His development practices include
environmental protection and the clean developmental practices for ensuring
Himachal becoming the first carbon-neutral state in the country. The
establishment of a voluntary environmental fund, mooting of a security
shield for the country in the shape of Pathankot-Manali-Leh-Ladakh Railway
line, ban on holding of political functions in government schools and thus
deliverance of school children from the shackles of captive audience, an
official ‘No’ to the garlanding of public functionaries either at the
cost of public exchequer or private individuals and petty savings so
effected by the public are channelised into the Chief Minister’s relief
fund. Higher literacy in the state to be tapped and establishment of world
class educational institutions as the next ambitious goal. The fast tracking
of development in harmony with the environmental protection with the
involvement of citizens is Prof. Dhumal’s motto:-
"हर हिमाचली
पर्यावरण का
प्रहरी
प्रखर,
पर्यावरण
संरक्षण में
विकास की डगर"
।
“Each
Himachali is the sentinel of environment
Ensuring conservation-march on development"
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