BJP accuses Himachal CM Sukhu, ministers of making baseless statements against Centre
BJP state media department in-charge and MLA Randhir Sharma today accused Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and ministers of making baseless statements and misleading the public on several issues.
Addressing a press conference here today, Sharma said Deputy Chief Minister’s statement on the expansion of railway line in Himachal Pradesh was factually wrong. “His statement that the Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri railway line is an endeavour to reach the factory of a friend of a BJP leader is completely baseless and an attempt to cover up his own shortcomings,” said Sharma.
He reminded Mukesh Agnihotri that this railway line was the dream of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, but it was the Modi government which started the work on this railway line. He said Himachal Pradesh was yet to pay Rs 1,441 crore as its share in the rail line project for which the budget sharing would be in the ratio of 75:25 per cent between the Centre and state governments.
The state government had to bear the expenditure of more than Rs 70 crore for the acquisition of the land required for the project, Sharma added. “Rather than making false accusations, it would be better if Himachal gives its share for the completion of the rail line upto Bilaspur,” he said.
Sharma said the Himachal Pradesh Government had to pay a total amount of Rs 1,636 crore for the two rail line projects of Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri and Rs 185 crore for the Chandigarh-Baddi rail line.
He lamented that the CM, Deputy CM and ministers were making baseless allegations against the Centre. “The state government is unnecessarily creating hurdles in the Central government-run projects in Himachal Pradesh by not paying its share,” he alleged.
Hitting out at the Congress regime on the issue of toilet and luggage tax, Sharma said if the government had not imposed these taxes then why were these withdrawn. Accusing the government of burdening the people of Himachal with taxes, he cited the example of water cess, water bills on the rural people, luggage tax in the HRTC and the toilet tax.
