Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Monday laid the foundation stones for seven developmental projects here.
The seven projects include a cancer hospital, a multipurpose indoor hall, a food street, a new library, one railway over bridge on the Jalandhar Cantonment-Hoshiarpur line, a girls hostel and a community centre, according to an official release.
Singh also announced sub-tehsil status for Sham Chaurasi, and said work has already been initiated on the establishment of a government college in Dholbaha.
The chief minister said the region had many demands and his government had tried to fulfill most of them as part of its duty to ensure the welfare of the people.
He said his government wants Punjab to become an educational hub. "This would also help prevent the youth from making a beeline abroad to seek better opportunities," he said.
Reiterating his commitment to give employment to the youth, the chief minister said as many as 6.2 lakh people have already got jobs under the 'Ghar Ghar Rozgar and Karobar scheme' of his government.
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Singh also announced his government's plans to come up with a policy to develop an industrial belt from Pathankot to Chandigarh.
Expressing concern over the contamination of the state's sub-soil, leading to spread of cancer, he said his government is aimed to link all cities with surface water for which projects have been launched in the main towns of Patiala, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Ludhiana.
"Providing clean drinking water is a priority of our government," he said, adding that cancer hospitals had already been established in the southern part of the state and now the focus was on the northern belt.
The cancer hospital in Hoshiarpur will be constructed at a cost of Rs 45 crore, he said.
In another major announcement, Singh said a railway over bridge will be constructed on the Jalandhar Cantt-Hoshiarpur line at a cost of Rs 81 crore.
The project would ensure seamless and hassle-free travel for commuters in the region.