Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday said that necessary budgetary provisions were made before announcing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
While interacting with the media upon his arrival in Una, he said the cabinet had accorded sanction to the OPS in its first meeting after careful deliberations. Likewise, he said, all other guarantees promised by the Congress will be fulfilled in a phased manner after making adequate financial provisions.
On the deadlock between Adani Group and local truck operator unions, Sukhu said, “I hope that the dispute is resolved soon. The state government, however, would fight for the rights of the truckers and their welfare.”
Lashing out at the previous BJP government, he said, “It failed to give the employees their arrears under the pay commission. The haphazard decisions made by the BJP were unwanted and uncalled for.”
Claiming that the BJP handed over empty coffers to them, Sukhu said, “False promises were made to take political mileage. The BJP has left an outstanding amount of ₹11,000 crore which is to be paid as arrears to employees and pensioners.”
Sukhu presenting distorted debt figures: Jai Ram
Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday castigated the current government over the closure of Adani Group-owned cement factories in the state.
“Locals dependent on the cement factories for livelihood are suffering. It’s been nearly two months since the two cement plants were shut down. The state has suffered a loss to the tune of ₹150 crore since then,” Jai Ram said while talking to the media in Shimla. “So far, the government has not been able to devise any formula to break the impasse,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“Locals dependent on the cement factories for livelihood are suffering. It’s been nearly two months since the two cement plants were shut down. The state has suffered a loss to the tune of ₹150 crore since then,” Jai Ram said while talking to the media in Shimla. “So far, the government has not been able to devise any formula to break the impasse,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}He also slammed chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for his ‘rhetoric’ on the financial condition of the state.
“It’s been two months since he assumed office. The finance department must have apprised him of the real condition. I remember the loan was well below ₹70,000 crore when the Congress assumed power, but its leaders are presenting varying figures before the public,” he added.
Development, Jai Ram said, has come to a standstill and institutions opened by his government for public welfare have been closed to fulfil the guarantees promised by the Congress. “However, people are still waiting for the implementation of those 10 guarantees, which would never be fulfilled,” he added.