BJP left Himachal with empty coffers: Sukhu
Shimla: Just a day after former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur launched a strong critique of the Congress government led by Sukhvinder Singh Thakur, the Chief Minister responded sharply, accusing Thakur of depleting the state’s finances and leaving the Congress with a serious fiscal crisis in 2022.
Sukhu said, “BJP squandered away Rs 5,000 crore in announcing and launching new schemes and projects ahead of the state assembly elections.
This was public money but the Institutions were opened for political gains.
More so electricity and water waived charges were waived off for state’s prosperous class, big hotels and business houses”
He said the government has rationalised the subsidies, but no burden has been put on the common man.
“The day I became the Chief Minister, there was only one month’s money to meet the expenses of this state. The double engine BJP government has looted the wealth of the state” he declared at a public meeting at Joginder Nagar on Thursday.
Jairam Thakur had accused the government for allegedly failing to initiate or complete development projects in its nearly two years’ tenure.
He highlighted the deteriorating financial condition of the state and disputed Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s claims that the state would attain prosperity and self-reliance by 2027.
He said that if the Central Government had blocked the revenue deficit grant of Rs 550 crore and the state’s tax share, the government would not have been able to pay salaries.
He added that the Central Government had paid Rs 1,479 crore of the state’s tax share in advance to it.
But Sukhu said that it has been 22 months since the congress government was formed. “During this time we had many challenges, the state treasury was empty,” he added.
During the disaster last monsoons major damage was caused to the public and private property and the Government took immediate measures to provide relief to the people.
An assistance of Rs. 2.26 crore was provided for Joginder Nagar Assembly Constituency to rehabilitate the people affected by the disaster.
He said that the matter of Bhubhu Jot Tunnel has been raised with the Prime Minister and if leader of opposition Jairam Thakur does not create hindrances at Delhi to stop this project, then Himachal Pradesh was sure to get this clear the proposal.
Referring to the Shanan Hydel Project, the Chief Minister said that the state government was fighting a strong legal battle in the Supreme Court to get back the project which was handed over to the Punjab government on 99 years lease period.
He reiterated that if SJVN does not agree to the conditions of the state government, then the state government will acquire 210 MW Luhri Hydro Electric Project Phase-I, 66 MW Dhaulasidh Hydro Electric Project and 382 MW Sunni Hydro Electric Projects.
The Chief Minister accused the double engine government for making huge irregularities in the financial sector from 2017 to 2022 but the present state government has taken effective steps to ensure financial discipline.
