Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 26 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday addressed a large public meeting at Kansa Chowk in the Balh Assembly constituency of Mandi district and launched a scathing attack on the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
He said that during the tenure of the previous BJP government, the double-engine government pushed Himachal into a debt trap and misused the state’s resources. He said that during the tenure of the previous BJP government, the state received around Rs 60,000 crore through GST compensation and Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), but this money was not used properly.
The Chief Minister said that around 45 months ago, a Congress-led government came to power in the state, giving a person from an ordinary family the opportunity to become Chief Minister. He said that, keeping in mind the problems and difficulties faced by ordinary people, the Cabinet took the decision to restore the Old Pension Scheme for government employees in its very first meeting.
He alleged that after this decision, the Central Government stopped financial assistance of around Rs 1,600 crore to Himachal Pradesh.
The Chief Minister said that the Congress government had firmly faced both natural disasters and political challenges. During the disaster, the state government rebuilt around 23,000 damaged houses using its own resources.
He said that the political challenge was also faced firmly with the support of the people of the state and the blessings of the deities, and the number of Congress MLAs again reached 40.
He said that the Congress government was firmly committed to making Himachal Pradesh self-reliant. The government was working to curb corruption and ensure that people receive their rights. Along with providing financial benefits to employees and pensioners, the government is also implementing schemes for the welfare of orphaned children and widows.
Referring to the Kishau Multipurpose Project, the Chief Minister said that the state government had strongly protected Himachal Pradesh’s interests. He said that if there had been a BJP government in the state, people of Himachal Pradesh could have faced an additional burden of around Rs. 3,000 crore, as in Uttarakhand.
He said that by strongly representing the state’s interests, around Rs. 3,000 crore in expenditure had been saved for Himachal Pradesh. He added that the project could generate annual revenue of around Rs 1,200 crore to Rs 1,500 crore for the state in the future.
CM Sukhu said that during the previous BJP government, milk was being purchased at Rs 32 per litre, while the present government had increased the procurement price to Rs 61 per litre for cow’s milk and Rs. 71 per litre for buffalo milk. He said that the government would increase the milk procurement price further in the coming time.
Announcing changes in the eligibility criteria for ‘Mukhya Mantri Ka Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana’, the Chief Minister said that the mandatory requirement of working for one day under MGNREGA to receive benefits under the scheme would be removed. The family income limit would be increased from Rs. 50 to Rs. 75 thousand.
He said that all eligible women above the age of 21 would be provided a monthly pension of Rs 1,500.
The Chief Minister said that recruitment to 800 posts of police constables would be conducted soon in the state. He said that an MRI machine was being installed at Nerchowk Medical College at a cost of Rs 23 crore.
He said that the government was working with commitment to improve healthcare services in the state. He said that during the previous BJP government, hospitals in the state had around 35 percent of the required staff, which had been increased to around 60 percent by the present government. The target was to increase it to 80 percent in the coming time.
The Chief Minister said that in the last Assembly election, Jai Ram Thakur and the BJP government had raised the issue of regionalism in Mandi and won nine out of 10 Assembly seats of the district. However, during the BJP government’s tenure, the entire Mandi district, except the Seraj Assembly constituency, was neglected in terms of development.
Referring to the Balh Assembly constituency, the Chief Minister said that if Congress candidate Prakash Chaudhary had won the election, he would have been a minister in the state government today.
He said that the local BJP MLA did not effectively raise the issues of people from his constituency in the Assembly constituency. He also accused the BJP of factionalism and said that there was discontent within the BJP over leaders who had left the Congress and joined the party.
CM Sukhu indicated that a pending instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees would be released soon. He said that employees would be able to celebrate Diwali well this year and that the state’s financial situation was improving.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also made several development announcements for the Balh Assembly constituency. He announced the opening of divisions of the Jal Shakti Department and the Electricity Board, as well as a DSP office, at Nerchowk. He also announced Rs 3 crore for irrigation and drinking water schemes in the Balh area.
He announced Rs. 1 crore for a dumping site, Rs 50 lakh for the repair of Kansa Stadium, and Rs 3 crore for the repair and maintenance of roads under the Public Works Department. He also announced Rs. 60 lakh for metalling and paving the Ridoo, Nalu and Saryad roads. He announced Rs 35,000 each for the Mahila Mandals present at the programme.
The Chief Minister announced that a CBSE school would be opened at Gurkota from the next academic session.
Earlier, former minister Prakash Chaudhary welcomed Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to the Balh Assembly constituency and said that the state government had launched several schemes in the interests of women, youth and government employees. He said that sending orphaned children abroad for exposure visits reflected the Chief Minister’s sensitive approach and his commitment to ensuring a better future for these children.
He said that the Central Government was depriving Himachal Pradesh of its rightful entitlements. Despite this, the present state government was running the state with financial discipline.
He said that the BJP was trying to win elections by making false promises. APMC Chairman Sanjeev Guleria also welcomed the Chief Minister on his arrival in the Balh Assembly constituency.
MLA Anil Sharma, Inder Singh Gandhi and Sunder Singh Thakur, former minister Rangila Ram Rao, former CPS Sohan Singh Thakur, Congress leaders Chet Ram Thakur, Shashi Sharma, Lal Singh Kaushal, Jagdish Reddy, District Congress President Champa Thakur, Naresh Chauhan, Pawan Thakur, Jeevan Thakur, Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan, Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
CM Sukhu's remarks come as Congress gears up to return back to power in the 2027 Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, while it faces heavy criticism over state debt. (ANI)
Previous double-engine govt pushed Himachal into debt trap: CM Sukhu
