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Sukhu hits out at BJP, blames party for HP’s fiscal challenges
The chief minister said that his government is focused on rebuilding infrastructure, ensuring disaster resilience, and supporting affected families
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu lashed out at leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur for pushing the state under debt saying “If Jai Ram Thakur truly understood the state’s financial system, Himachal would not be facing such a severe economic crunch today”
“The tax share and external-aided projects are determined strictly according to the Finance Commission rules,” said the chief minister while talking to HT on Thursday.
Reacting sharply to former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Sukhu said, “Jai Ram Thakur should know that external-aided projects are financed through the Finance Commission for a period of five years. Such projects receive approvals worth ₹6,000 to ₹7,000 crore within that duration. The state government is working to modernize infrastructure just as medical equipment like MRI machines that are 19 years old need replacement to complete important projects.”
Referring to claims about the ₹1,400 crore health project, Sukhu remarked,
“Jai Ram Ji is saying that they got a ₹1,400 crore health project approved. Ask them where the sanction is. We have initiated a ₹2,000 crore World Bank-funded disaster project, which is under process for approval and will be implemented soon. The World Bank head office will take a few months to finalize it.”
Commenting on the allegations against BJP MLA Hans Raj, the Chief Minister said, “The allegations against Hans Raj were initially raised by her and later withdrawn. A woman has now approached the government with her grievance. Our government will conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter.”
Chief Minister said that his government is focused on rebuilding infrastructure, ensuring disaster resilience, and supporting affected families. “The Congress government is working for people’s welfare, not political survival,” he asserted.
Talking about the upcoming Assembly session, Sukhu said, “During this eight-day session, I expect the Bharatiya Janata Party to raise all issues they talk about publicly. They should bring facts related to disaster relief and public welfare, not just political rhetoric.”
Taking a dig at the BJP, Sukhu added, “When in 2023 they demanded a special Assembly session on disasters, we agreed and conducted it but they did not co-operate then. The process is still continuing”.
