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Jai Ram issuing baseless statements: HP cabinet ministers
Himachal Pradesh cabinet ministers Anirudh Singh and Vikramaditya Singh on Monday jointly criticised leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur for issuing statements which they termed baseless and unwarranted and called it an attempt to “hog headlines”
Himachal Pradesh cabinet ministers Anirudh Singh and Vikramaditya Singh on Monday jointly criticised leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur for issuing statements which they termed baseless and unwarranted and called it an attempt to “hog headlines”.
They said it was “surprising” that the former chief minister time and again raised the issue of de-notification of institutions opened by the previous BJP government at the fag-end of its tenure with an eye on the assembly elections.
The duo claimed that all these institutions were opened and upgraded without any budgetary provisions and “rational thinking” with a sole motive to woo voters.
“The state government would review all these institutions and if found viable, they will be opened after allocating proper budget,” said the two ministers.
They said that the present Congress government has “inherited” a debt burden of over ₹75,000 crore due to the “financial mismanagement” of the previous BJP regime. “The BJP government has also left financial liabilities to the tune of ₹5,000 crore and thus, its leaders have no moral right to question the decision of the state government to hike VAT on diesel,” they added.
“It is due to the wasteful expenditure of the previous state government that the current dispensation has been forced to take such a harsh step,” the ministers said.
Anirudh and Vikramaditya said it was only after the BJP’s crushing defeat in the 2021 bypolls that the then state government had reduced VAT on petrol and diesel.
They said that Jai Ram’s allegation regarding appointment of chief parliamentary secretaries was also uncalled for.
“All the rejected and dejected second-line leaders were appointed chairmen and vice- chairmen with a sole objective to adjust them by allotting plum postings,” they alleged.
Sukhu’s ministers said the first and the foremost task before the state government was to bring the derailed economy back on track, create resources of income generation and cut down unproductive expenditure.
‘Kangra will get its due representation at appropriate time’
They said that induction of ministers in the state cabinet was the sole prerogative of the chief minister. “The ministerial berths have been allocated after taking into consideration all aspects and due representation would be given to Kangra and other districts at the appropriate time,” they added.
