Shimla: Tensions between the Congress government and the Opposition BJP escalated on Monday as Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu initiated a two-day discussion with MLAs to finalise the development plan and budget for the year 2025-26.
The BJP, however, chose to boycott the meeting, continuing a long-standing tradition that has been followed in the state for years.
“When our MLAs’ Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), based on their priorities in respect constituencies, are not being considered or approved, what is the point of attending the meeting? So, we have decided to boycott the meeting,” said Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur at a press conference earlier in the day.
Thakur said that the BJP would decide in its Legislature Party meeting, ahead of the Budget Session, whether it would submit the MLA priorities in writing to the concerned authorities. He said “We have boycotted the MLA priority meeting, but we will raise issues of public interest in the Budget Session,” Thakur alleged that the state government was misusing the financial assistance from the Centre by diverting it to pay employee salaries and pensions.
However, the CM went ahead with the meeting scheduled with Congress MLAs from districts of Solan, Kullu, Kangra, Kinnaur, Chamba,Bilaspur, Lahaul-Spiti and discussed their priorities for the annual budget 2025-26.
The CM said that the state government had secured approval for 127 projects worth Rs 903.21 crore from NABARD for the year 2024-25. These projects include 50 MLA-priority schemes under the Public Works Department worth Rs. 412.75 crore and 23 MLA-priority schemes under the Jal Shakti Vibhag amounting to Rs. 179.07 crore.
The CM assured that efforts were being made to secure approval for more MLA-priority projects from NABARD by March, 2025. Apart from this, the government has allocated Rs. 1087.77 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for 2024-25, with 5.28 percent increase as compared to previous year.
He directed officials to focus on getting forest clearance and gift deeds while preparing detailed project reports for MLA priorities so as to ensure that the projects could be started well in time.
MLA Lahaul-Spiti Assembly constituency Anuradha Rana, highlighting the potential of tourism in the region, stressed the need to develop winter sports to boost tourism activities in the area. She also advocated securing a GI tag for Seabuckthorn.