Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 20 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday presided over the closing ceremony of Fire Service Week at the State Fire Training Centre in Baldeyan of Shimla.
The week-long event, held from April 14 to 20, 2025, concluded with impressive demonstrations of firefighting and rescue operations by fire department personnel, a release said.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also flagged off 13 new firefighting vehicles to enhance the department’s emergency response capabilities.
During the ceremony, Sukhu honoured fire service personnel for their exemplary service and presented awards to the winners of various competitions held during the Fire Service Week.
He also paid tribute at the Shaheed Smarak and announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of two fire personnel, Martyrs Joginder Pal and Ghanshyam, who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2009 while serving in Nalagarh of district Solan.
The Chief Minister lauded the bravery and dedication of fire, home guard and police personnel, saying, “Protecting life and property amidst blazing fires is not just a duty but a noble service”.
He emphasized that the state government is actively working to strengthen fire services, particularly given Himachal Pradesh’s vulnerability to disasters due to its hilly terrain.
He further said that the government is making efforts to fill vacant posts in the Home Guards department and that the recruitment process for 700 new Home Guard personnel would commence shortly.
The CM also praised the critical role played by the fire services, the home guards, and the SDRF personnel during the 2023 monsoon-led disaster and acknowledged their commendable service.
Sukhu added that the state government was steering the state towards self-reliance, despite facing significant natural calamities and political challenges. He said that the government was striving to improve the quality of life of common citizens by implementing reforms in policies and laws.
The CM accused the previous BJP government of mismanaging public funds and said that the present state government curbed corruption and generated an additional revenue exceeding Rs. 2200 crore by closing backdoors to graft.
He also stated that the government was bringing significant reforms in the education and healthcare sectors. The state was considering introducing CBSE curriculum in government schools, starting initially with 100 schools.
Similarly, healthcare reforms were underway to provide better medical services across the state. The Chief Minister assured that these efforts would yield visible and positive results in the near future.
Sukhu also inspected the exhibitions arranged by the fire department.
Fire Services Director Satwant Atwal welcomed the Chief Minister and provided detailed insights into the department’s activities. (ANI)
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