Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], January 6 : Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday flagged off a 10-day educational and recreational exposure tour for 52 orphaned children from Shimla. These children have been accorded the status of "Children of the State" under the state government's Mukhyamantri Sukh Aashray Yojana.
Flagging off the tour, the Chief Minister said that the New Year had begun with compassionate initiatives by the government. "At the very start of the New Year, approval has been given for providing jobs to 980 people on compassionate grounds in the first stage. In the second stage, our government enacted the country's first such law that ensures complete protection to orphaned children like a family," Sukhu said.

He said that when winter sets in in Himachal Pradesh, children usually travel outside with their parents.
"These are the 'Children of the State' for whom we brought a law. Our government takes them out for travel like a family. These children will get an opportunity to explore other parts of the country. They will travel by air, a facility provided by law by the state government. They will stay in five-star hotels. Last year too, the children availed these facilities," the Chief Minister said.
Sukhu added that while 52 children were flagged off from Shimla, Deputy Commissioners of all districts have been directed to prepare new programmes and send children from their respective districts on similar tours, based on district-level planning.
The children, who reside in various government-run destitute homes and asylums across the state, expressed happiness and gratitude for the exposure being provided through the initiative.
"I live in Masur Ashram. We children, are going on a tour from here and we are very happy. We are very excited because this is the first time in our lives that we are travelling. First we will go to Chandigarh, then by train to Delhi, and after that by aeroplane to Goa. I thank the government for doing so much for us."
Another student, Navya, also shared her excitement about the tour.
"We are very happy. Earlier, whatever we heard about aeroplanes or such tours, we had only seen on television. Now we will go ourselves, and it feels very good. We are very happy. We will go to Agra and also to Goa. We are travelling for the first time and it feels very nice. There have been many governments before, but no one did so much for us. We thank the Chief Minister and we are very happy."
The exposure tour includes visits to Chandigarh, Delhi, Agra and Goa, and aims to provide educational, cultural and recreational exposure to orphaned children under the state's welfare programme.