Himachal's Children of the State: CM Sukhu's Historic Orphanage Visit Revealed

Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, he briefly commented on the developing trends in the Bihar Assembly election, saying the party would wait for the "final results to be declared" before issuing any statement.

Responding to questions about Bihar, Sukhu said that they (the Congress) were in coalition. "We were alliance partners there. The final results have not been released yet. Some seats are still pending. Only after the complete outcome will I make a detailed statement."

At the programme dedicated to children living in state-run childcare institutions, the Chief Minister recalled that the first place he visited after taking office was not the secretariat but a girls' orphanage, breaking what he described as a long-followed administrative convention.

"After becoming Chief Minister, if I went anywhere first, it was to an orphanage. Traditionally, CMs hold their first meeting in the Secretariat on Day One. But I changed that tradition. On December 11, 2022, I visited a girls' orphanage. I observed their hostel, their food, and their way of living. I learned a lot from those children," CM Sukhu said.

Himachal CM said the experience made him realise that these children had little support once they turned 18, precisely when they needed guidance the most.

"I felt that the state's resources belong to these children, too. But when they turned 18, there was no clear plan for their future. So, Himachal Pradesh became the first state in India to frame a dedicated law, the Mukhyamantri Sukh Aashray Act. Under this law, the government takes responsibility for a child from birth till the age of 27. For them, the government is both mother and father. They are the Children of the State," he said.

The three-day programme is being jointly organised by the Social Justice & Empowerment Department and the Police Department. It includes sports events and cultural performances designed to boost the morale and confidence of children residing in state institutions.

"We want these children to feel that they are not abandoned. They must feel like children of the state, like the King's children," the Chief Minister remarked.

The event coincided with Children's Day, observed on November 14, the birth anniversary of the country's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

"We are celebrating Children's Day as Children of the State Day for these kids," CM Sukhu added.

Asked about Opposition remarks that the government should not celebrate its three years in office, given the state's recovery situation after natural disasters, the Chief Minister dismissed the criticism.

"They speak of morality. They should first check whether they themselves stand on moral grounds. This is a party event, not a government event. We will present our government's achievements. The BJP has nothing to show. In three years, our two major policy changes have moved Himachal toward becoming a self-reliant state," he said.

He added that his government had taken strong steps against corruption. "We have shut the backdoor of corruption through which irregular appointments and malpractices were happening," he said.

Reacting to the BJP's accusation that professors were being removed from the Mandi Medical College, the Chief Minister said the allegation was factually incorrect.

"No professor has been removed. We are creating a separate cadre for the medical colleges. IGMC (Indira Gandhi Medical College & Hospital) will have its cadre, and the Directorate of Medical Education and the Directorate of Medical Services have been separated," Himachal CM clarified.

He stated that 28 doctors from IGMC, who had been transferred earlier, had been retained in Mandi's medical facilities, and additional medical staff would be deployed soon.

"There will be no shortage of staff. Unlike the previous BJP government, which opened medical colleges but outsourced MRI machines to private hands, we will not allow such practices. Transfers will happen as required, not as a matter of political fear," CM Sukhu said.

- ANI