E-Paper
BJP failed to back state on revenue deficit grant, disaster relief: Sukhu
Sukhu while addressing mediapersons in Una asked why BJP leaders did not accompany the government to meet the Prime Minister when the state was fighting for its rightful dues.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the state BJP and questioned why the party “failed” to stand with the state government before the Centre on crucial issues such as the revenue deficit grant (RDG) and disaster relief.
Sukhu while addressing mediapersons in Una asked why BJP leaders did not accompany the government to meet the Prime Minister when the state was fighting for its rightful dues.
The CM alleged that during the BJP’s tenure, Himachal Pradesh was burdened with a debt of ₹76,633 crore. He alleged that the previous government distributed nearly ₹5,000 crore in “freebies during election time, which weakened financial discipline”. Despite receiving significantly higher funds from the Centre around ₹60,000 crore more than the present government, the BJP failed to utilise these resources effectively. Instead, he claimed, the funds were misused, pushing the state deeper into debt. He said that if the money had been properly utilised, Himachal could have been debt-free today.
“BJP policies had consistently been against the interests of the state and did not prioritise public welfare. In contrast, the present state government for the past 40 months has focused on vyavastha parivartan, prioritised public service, introduced policy changes, enacted new laws and curbed corruption which were bringing positive results,” he added.
Sukhu said that the people of the state have now recognised the truth that the BJP has been making desperate attempts to gain power through social media manipulation. He said that the Congress government has introduced several welfare schemes including a monthly assistance of ₹1,500 for women from one lakh underprivileged families, free electricity up to 300 units and pensions for women above 59 years of age.
Referring to the natural disasters of 2023 and 2025, the CM said the state government had announced historic relief packages on its own, while no BJP leader stepped forward to secure additional assistance from the Centre. He added that the state is still awaiting the ₹1,500 crore relief packages announced by the Prime Minister and BJP leaders were “not making any efforts representing the state” and demanding accountability on the matter.
He alleged that the BJP is facing internal factionalism and the party is divided into five groups in Himachal. He said that the Opposition Leader Jai Ram Thakur is “under pressure to retain his position, which is why he keeps issuing frequent statements against Congress just to be in the media”.
