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‘Delivered, and won voter’s faith in return’
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem
Kumar Dhumal has emerged as the poll mascot for the BJP as he leads
the party campaign for a second successive term. Never short of
oratorical skills, he has even usurped the Congress idiom of "aam
admi". He believes making the government accessible to the common
man has been the biggest achievement of his five years in office.
Exuding quiet confidence in an interview with Pratibha Chauhan,
Dhumal asserted the BJP will romp home by wining at least 45 of the 68
seats at stake. Excerpts: How do you rate the performance of your
government in the past five years? Our single biggest achievement is
the fact that the common man identifies with the BJP regime and feels
it is his government. This faith stems from the fact that we have
delivered what we promised. There is not a single family in the state
which has not benefited in one way or the other from our various
schemes. We have enhanced social security pensions, daily wages,
provided subsidised ration, which has not just bridged the gap between
the government and the people but also succeeded in winning the faith
of the people. If given a second innings, what will be your topmost
priority? We have come far in development, and the endeavour would
now be to maintain the tempo and reach greater heights. The per capita
income in the past four years has gone up from Rs 43,900 to Rs 73,600,
and we would like to set a target of Rs 1.25 lakh for the next five
years. I want every Himachali to be healthy, educated, gainfully
employed, self-dependent and, above all, live with respect and
dignity. Corruption is an issue weighing on everybody’s mind. How
do you intend tackling it? First, the Congress must shun its pretence
on corruption — to prove that, Virbhadra Singh must accept an
inquiry by a Special Investigation Team into all allegations he is
facing. The commission on benami land deals looked into irregularities
committed during both Congress and BJP regimes. The findings are
before everyone, making it amply clear that the Congress was generous
in allowing land deals in violation of norms, which is now under the
scrutiny of the Revenue Department. We have also proposed amendments
in the Lokayukta Act to cover everyone from a panch to the Chief
Minister. It has been sent to the Centre, and if need be we are open
to further amendments. There are certain things which are outside our
purview and not constitutionally permissible, while in other matters
it is only the Supreme Court or High Court that can take a
decision. We have passed the Service Guarantee Bill, which will
prevent unnecessary delay in delivery of services. Such steps will
help us get to the root of what leads to corruption. What steps will
you take to improve the poor financial health of the state? At the
outset, I would like to dispel the notion that the state is in dire
straits with respect to its financial health. This propaganda by a
certain section against us is belied by the fact that despite the 13th
Finance Commission fixing the fiscal deficit at 3 per cent, we have
not crossed 2.8 per cent, which is in contrast to the 6 per cent at
the Centre. We will seek generation tax on all power produced in the
state under Article 288 (2) of the Constitution, which will give us
about Rs 500 crore annually. Besides, the Rs 4,250 crore due to the
state as our share in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects
will also help us tremendously. We hope to generate resources by
harnessing more hydro-power and promoting tourism at a mega
scale. Unemployment is the single largest issue weighing on the mind
of every youth. Do you have any blueprint to address this
problem? Undoubtedly, it is an issue bothering everyone, and we hope
to generate more jobs, both in the private and public sector. However,
the answer lies in encouraging the youth to be not just self-employed
but also provide jobs to others in their private ventures. It is with
this very objective that we have announced to provide loans of up to
Rs 1 lakh at the rate of 2 per cent interest. Attention will also be
paid to skill development, so that trained youth get gainful
employment in the industrial ventures coming up in the state. What
steps will you take to strengthen the agriculture and horticulture
sectors? The cultivation of off-season vegetables is one area which
has revolutionised the agriculture sector and brought benefits to all.
The volume of off-season vegetables grew from Rs 250 crore to Rs 2,250
crore, which helped in covering a gap of Rs 1,300 crore that had
resulted from reduction in the apple crop from Rs 2,200 crore to Rs
900 crore, along with a surplus of Rs 700 crore. The next thrust will
be on crop diversification, floriculture and herbiculture so that
growers’ income is supplemented in as varied ways as possible.
Better and improved varieties along with high-yielding strains will be
distributed to enhance production. Why have the desired results not
been achieved in sectors like tourism, road, water supply and other
infrastructure building? We have tried our best, but with the Centre
adopting a discriminatory approach, we have had a tough time. We were
not even provided sufficient money to repair the roads. Against a bill
of Rs 150 crore raised by us, we were given a pittance of Rs 5 crore.
We have raised a development project loan from the World Bank, which
will help us in a number of ways, including road construction and
making tunnels. These steps coupled with aerial ropeways will help us
reduce carbon emissions as well as travel time. Practically, all
water supply schemes have been augmented with the help of NABARD. We
have received a funding of Rs 429 crore from the Asian Development
Bank, which will be utilised to enhance and start new water supply
schemes wherever required. Though your government reserved 50 per
cent seats for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and local bodies,
their number in the Assembly still remains small? How will you improve
that? Empowerment of women has been one of the priority areas of the
BJP regime. The results are beginning to show at the panchayat level,
and gradually representation of women will improve in the Assembly as
well. Our party has fielded six woman candidates in the Assembly
elections, which is better than the Congress. I feel soon the strength
of women will go up to at least 33 per cent in the Assembly too.
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‘Will restore rule of law, accountability’
Leading the Congress charge in the Vidhan Sabha elections, Himachal party chief Virbhadra Singh's foremost accusation against the BJP government is its surrender of state's interests to outsiders for ulterior motives. Basic amenities, too, he says, have been denied to the state's residents as the government failed to manage its finances or utilise the Central grants available. Restoring the government's credibility and delivering the people their needs would, thus, be his priority, the veteran of five decades in state politics tells Rakesh Lohumi. Excerpts: How do you rate the performance of the BJP government in Himachal? It failed to perform on almost every front. Its achievements have only been in selling the state’s land and economic interests. Chief Minister PK Dhumal is going to the polls with the slogan “Vaade se bhi jyada”, but going by their performance, “Vaade se bhi aadha” would be more like it, as half of the election promises have not even been touched. The list of promises not kept is long, including a hydropower training institute, janata bazaars, pension to employees of all public-sector undertakings, plan to save crops from animals, girls’ college in each district with free hostel, medical specialists in all zonal and district hospitals, ropeways and flights to boost tourism, and administrative tribunal Benches at Mandi and Dharamsala. What is the one major issue you would focus on if voted to power? Review all illegal, wrong and anti-Himachal decisions and policies, and revamp the administration that has ceased to be a tool for good governance. The system will undergo a major overhaul to ensure rule of the law. Officials cannot be mere tools acting at the whim of the Chief Minister. What will you do to make the state self-reliant financially? Finances have deteriorated due to gross mismanagement and failure of the present regime to raise resources. The situation was being tackled on a “day to day” basis. Dhumal has been consistently complaining of step-motherly treatment by the UPA regime, while the state failed to raise its share to avail funds of over Rs 10,000 crore available under Central schemes over the past four years. In the current year alone Rs 3,000 crore has been lost. The government should be able to raise at least the minimum resources to contribute its share for Central schemes, and matching funds for development. What plans do you have to pull the power sector out of the red? The pathetic state of the power sector is a result of indifferent governance and corruption. The Congress government had formulated a hydropower policy and evolved a transparent system for allotment of projects, but the Dhumal government dismantled it and tweaked the policy every now and then for ulterior motives. I remember a case where fake companies running from a room in Chandigarh had applied for projects in Uttarakhand and Himachal. While Uttarakhand made discrete inquiries, and cancelled the allotments, Himachal awarded projects to such companies. Faulty restructuring and unwarranted government interference has brought the state electricity board to the verge of collapse. The Atal Bijali Bachat Yojna was a government scheme thrust upon the board, but it was never paid the Rs 70 crore spent by it on distributing free compact fluorescent lamps. What is your blueprint to strengthen the key sector of agriculture? Agricultural land was scarce in the hills, yet the Dhumal government has allowed indiscriminate diversion of agriculture land to oblige land sharks from outside the state. The BJP government introduced the failed anti-hail gun technology to save the apple crop. The Congress has promised 80 per cent subsidy on anti-hail nets, which are foolproof. Farmers need to be trained in the latest technology to improve productivity and focus on cash crops like off-season vegetables. Post-harvest infrastructure has to be strengthened, and FDI will have a vital role in it. How will you ensure regular
maintenance of roads? Link roads as well as highways have been a major casualty under the BJP regime. Funds have been lacking and the quality is so poor that new tarring peels off in days. There is nepotism in the allotment of contracts. Rampant corruption in the PWD has destroyed the work culture. The Congress will have a crash programme for restoration of roads, and ensure adequate funds, besides quality. Successive governments have failed to overcome the shortage of water in
villages every summer. The problem has aggravated because of the delay in completion of schemes. Erratic power supply has also affected pumping. Permissions granted to outsiders to purchase land has lead to haphazard urbanisation, putting further strain on the amenities. There has to be selective development so that the basic amenities can be expanded to keep pace with the requirement. Despite emphasis on promotion of tourism, its contribution to the GSDP has not increased beyond 8 per cent. Tourism can be an engine for economic growth as it generates the maximum jobs. While the private sector has a major role in the sector, the public sector also has an important role. Some of the best properties in the state have been developed by the HPTDC, but these are not properly maintained. Training of manpower — critical to success with tourists — has not received much attention. Despite the Central package of
incentives, industry has been unable to improve the economy or employment. In an ecologically fragile hill state, industrialisation has to be selective, and it should not take place at the cost of environment. Apart from clean industries like biotechnology and information technology, micro-enterprise should be encouraged for decentralised industrialisation. Higher education has gone beyond the reach of the common man due to
privatisation; do you have plans to expand the government facilities? I am not against privatisation, but not in the manner in which the Dhumal government has allowed institutions of doubtful credentials. Their objective was not promotion of education but allowing favoured parties to acquire land. The Congress will allow only genuine institutions to continue. The rest will be sent packing. All parties seem to be in the same boat on corruption. What steps do you propose to check the menace? Corruption can be curbed only by ensuring effective action against the guilty, and not by framing political opponents in false cases, as Dhumal has been doing. I will not indulge in vendetta, but ensure that charges of corruption are probed expeditiously. If there is evidence of wrongdoing, the guilty shall be held accountable.
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— Digvijay Singh, Congress General Secretary Saying politicians not responsible for kin
— Kareena Kapoor Khan,
Bollywood actor
— Sonia Gandhi, Congress President
— Taslima Nasrin, author
— Sumedh Singh Saini, Punjab DGP
— Sanjay Dutt,
Bollywood actor
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Politicians are also humans. We are not Gods. We can't keep a check on the innumerable relations we have and their activities. It isn't even our job as politicians.
Loyalty and fidelity are very important to me. If you are content and happy in your relationship, you will not cheat, whether you are a guy or
girl.
It hurts me when I see farmers losing money knowing the food I love comes from them. It also hurts me when I know that grains have rotten. FDI will remove these troubles.
Women get murdered for bringing insufficient dowry or for not having a son or not cooking good food. Most people blame them for being raped by men.
It is my business if facts are distorted deliberately and the issue of a minor girl is used to further personal interests. Capt Amarinder must leave policing to the police and mind his own business, if he can.
None of my sisters are in the movies, nor are my nieces going to be. That’s how my dad brought up the girls in our family. I’m carrying that thought forward.