The budget session of Himachal Vidhan Sabha commencing on Tuesday is expected to start on a stormy note with the both ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Congress gearing up to corner each other. The session will begin on February 25 and will culminate on April 1.
The budget session will begin with governor Bandaru Dattatreyas’ address, which is likely to underline the achievements of two-year-old chief minister Jai Ram Thakur led government. The government in the last two years has been harping on making various initiatives for the development of the hill state. The government in November last year organised a flagship business event – Rising Himachal- global investors meet at Dharamshala to attract domestic and foreign investments. The government claimed that it has surpassed the target of ₹85,000 crore worth Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU signed by the government now stands at ₹92,000 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had presided over the event in Dharmshala.
On the other hand, Congress had dubbed the investors meet as a flop show and waste of money. “Not a single industry has come to Himachal in the last two years. Investors meet turned out to be a total flop event,” said Congress leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri.
“This government is all about pomp and show. Government claimed of getting central assistance for the development of the state, however, it has got nothing, despite its own government at the Centre,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“This government is all about pomp and show. Government claimed of getting central assistance for the development of the state, however, it has got nothing, despite its own government at the Centre,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress is likely to target the government over its poor fiscal health. The state’s debt burden has increased to ₹53,0000 crore. In the last two years, the BJP government has raised a loan amounting to ₹10,000 crore to run the day-to-day affairs. Himachal spends 31% of the total budget in disbursing salaries, 17 % is fixed for pension while state’s 10% goes in paying loans and 6% in paying the principal amount on loans.
Growing unemployment in the state has become a major issue. The Congress has been targeting the government over rising unemployment as more than 8.63 lakh registered unemployed in the state. The total number of unemployed youth in the state is more than 10 lakh.
“The government should tell people that what it is doing to create employment in the state. It had earlier claimed that that it will give employment to more than 1.75 lakh youth,” said Naduan legislator and former state Congress chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.
The governments’ decision to make liquor cheaper in the state has also not gone down well with the Congress. Law and order is another issue that the opposition will rake up. Congress has been crying hoarse about the rising drug menace in the state and also accuses government of failing to curb the growing crime rate in the state. Smuggling of ‘chitta’ in the state has increased manifold. Drug traffickers from adjoing Punjab have shifted their base to Himachal. Congress has also often targeted the government for protecting those involved in river bed mining.
BJP national president Jagat Parkash Nadda will preside over the special meeting of BJLP on February 27. Nadda, who is making his maiden visit to Himachal after being appointed as national president, will be accorded grand welcome on his arrival at Solan. He will address Abhinandan rally in the district.
Meanwhile, CM Jai Ram Thakur has put on hold the plans to rejig the cabinet. Thakur had earlier gone on record saying that he would expand the cabinet before the budget session. Two cabinet berths have been lying vacant for the last nine months.