Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 14 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday presented a cheque of Rs 1.55 crore towards the 'Aapda Rahat Kosh' by Krishan Sharma, Chief General Manager of the SBI Chandigarh Circle in Shimla, according to the Chief Minister's Office.
The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude for this noble gesture and appealed to the people to contribute generously to support those affected by disasters.
Chairman of the HP Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Nardev Singh Kanwar, DGM SBI Himachal, Prabhat Kumar, and other distinguished dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
A day earlier, in a ceremony at Shimla's Ridge Ground, CM Sukhu said development in Himachal Pradesh is a contribution of the Congress party and Virbhadra Singh.
"When there were no roads in the state, he laid an entire network of roads, transformed education, and brought power to the remotest regions. For him, power meant service, and we must carry forward this legacy," CM Sukhu said.
He recalled Indira Gandhi's role in Himachal's growth and added, "It was in 1971, here on this very Ridge Ground, that Indira Gandhi granted full statehood to Himachal Pradesh. Today, unveiling Virbhadra Singh's statue here symbolises the Congress party's long-standing commitment to the state's development."
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that Virbhadra Singh was not only a political leader but the true architect of modern Himachal.
The event was attended by AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, AICC in charge for HP Rjani Patil, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, HPCC President and MP Pratibha Singh, MP Depender Singh Hooda, MP Sachin Pilot, M Rajiv Shukla and Vikramaditya Singh, son of the late leader and current PWD Minister, along with several senior Congress leaders.