Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 22 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday inaugurated the newly constructed extension building of the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat and the new office of the Chief Minister, describing the facility as an institutional space meant to serve the government and people rather than any individual occupant.
Speaking to media persons after the inauguration, Sukhu said the new complex had been constructed within a stipulated time frame and would address space and parking constraints faced by the existing Chief Minister's Office.
“I want to make one thing clear: this is not the Chief Minister's house; it is the house of an institution where the Chief Minister comes and puts forward his views. Such institutions are not linked to any one individual. They continue for 50 years or more, and from that perspective, building this institution was necessary,” Sukhu said.
The Chief Minister said the earlier office had inadequate space, resulting in people visiting from different villages, government employees and officials having to wait in cramped conditions.
He said the new facility houses the Chief Minister's Office as well as offices of the Principal Secretary, Additional Private Secretary and their staff. Space has also been provided for legislators and members of the public visiting them, besides offices for the Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary.
The building also has parking facilities for around 40 vehicles, Sukhu said, adding that this would ease traffic congestion outside the main gate of the Secretariat.
He said vehicles currently parked on the road outside the Secretariat would be shifted to the new parking area, providing more open space and reducing traffic disruption whenever the Chief Minister or ministers arrive.
According to Sukhu, the facility has around 15 rooms and has been constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs 20 crore.
He said the government planned to construct another office building on the adjoining land in the next phase so that ministers could sit together and government functioning could be carried out more efficiently.
“This was Phase-I. I congratulate the people of Himachal Pradesh on this occasion,” he said.
Responding to a question on the Opposition's criticism that the project amounted to wasteful expenditure, Sukhu rejected the allegation and said the facility would be used by successive governments.
“The Opposition has nothing to say. They call this wasteful expenditure, whereas they built buildings worth Rs 1,000 crore. I have only built the Chief Minister's Office. If a Chief Minister comes after 15 or 20 years, whether from the Opposition or otherwise, he will sit in the same office. It is not my house,” Sukhu said.
He said the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers were institutions of a democratic system, just as the judiciary and executive were institutions.
Sukhu also said criticism that district administrations had better office facilities than the Chief Minister's Office had been raised in the past, stressing that the new complex was intended to provide appropriate infrastructure for the institution of the state government.
Asked about a Public Interest Litigation filed before the Himachal Pradesh High Court concerning the project, Sukhu said approaching the courts was a democratic right.
“Public interest litigations are the right of everyone in a democracy. People have the right to go to the court, approach officials, members of the Council of Ministers or the Chief Minister,” he said.
On the much-awaited expansion of his Council of Ministers, Sukhu said it would take place soon and indicated that changes in portfolios would also be made.
“Yes, the Cabinet expansion will take place soon. There is no doubt about it. There will also be changes in departments,” the Chief Minister said.
On the Kishau multi-purpose project and the BJP's claim that the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should be credited for the agreement, Sukhu said the negotiations were between the concerned states and their officials and ministers.
He said there had been no intervention by Prime Minister Modi in the process, and alleged that the state government had refused to accept the agreement earlier reached during the previous BJP government led by Jai Ram Thakur.
“When our government came to power, we refused to accept the agreement signed by Jai Ram Thakur. Our Cabinet members were unanimous that Himachal's resources would not be allowed to be exploited,” Sukhu said.
He said several meetings had been held on the issue, including four with him and another with Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and the Union Jal Shakti Minister.
Sukhu said the state had also received a proposal under which the cost of power generation would be borne by the Centre, while Himachal Pradesh would receive 12 per cent free power as royalty.
“We said that we would not accept this either,” he said.
Sukhu said he had raised the issue directly with Amit Shah, questioning why the interests of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand were being treated differently.
“Uttarakhand is an equal partner. Why was Uttarakhand's demand not accepted? The Uttarakhand Chief Minister had said that the agreement being discussed with Himachal Pradesh should also be made applicable to Uttarakhand. That could not be done,” he said.
He further claimed that had the previous Himachal government continued in office, the agreement concerning the state would have followed the same terms as the Uttarakhand arrangement.
Sukhu said the 612-MW Kishau project would involve an estimated power-generation investment of around Rs 6,000-7,000 crore.
He said the revenue expected by Himachal Pradesh from the project would be significantly higher once the project became operational.
“If the money from electricity had started coming today, it would have been around Rs 600 crore. But the project will be completed after five years, and Himachal Pradesh will receive around Rs 1,200 crore to Rs 1,500 crore,” he said.
The Chief Minister also accused BJP leaders of making misleading statements on the issue, saying, “Whether it is Jai Ram ji or any other leader, they are all speaking falsely.” (ANI)
"New CM office an institution, not personal space": Himachal CM Sukhu inaugrates new Secretariat extension
