BJP drained exchequer, made ‘political’ promises before Himachal Assembly poll: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today accused the previous BJP government of pushing the state on the brink of bankruptcy by making “political announcements” before the 2022 Assembly elections.
The Chief Minister was speaking while taking part in a debate on fiscal mismanagement held under Rule 130 in the Vidhan Sabha. “The previous BJP regime had caused immense damage to the economy by failing to protect the interests of the state, whether in power projects or mega projects like the bulk drug park,” he added.
Even as the Chief Minister was speaking, the Opposition MLAs staged a walk out. Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that the Chief Minister was trying to distort facts whereas Rs 6 crore had been paid to lawyers to save a Chief Parliamentary Secretary. He added that the Congress must tender an apology to the people of the state for giving false guarantees to come to power.
Sukhu said that he would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to return Rs 10,600 crore of the contribution deposited under the new pension scheme with the Central Government. “We will legally fight to protect the interests of the state and get Rs 4,200 crore arrears due from the BBMB. This money will help us improve our financial health,” he added.
The Chief Minister said that there had been a cash flow mismatch during the BJP government and now corrective measures were being taken through fiscal discipline. He added that some more harsh decisions would have to be taken in near future to make Himachal self-reliant. “Relaxations will have to be made in Section 118 of the Land Reform Act and the Tenancy Act to attract investment,” he asserted.
He said, “Every government makes announcements before elections but not to the extent that it should shatter the economy. The decisions of the previous BJP government to abolish 6 per cent VAT on diesel, provide 125 units of free power and free water in rural areas, 50 per cent subsidy on travel to women and opening 900 institutions without budget just before the elections dealt a severe blow to the economy.”
Sukhu said, “The state exchequer, which had a surplus in 2018, is today grappling with a fund crunch. Despite a substantial allocation as Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation and the revenue deficit grant (RDG) during the BJP regime, the announcement of freebies before the Assembly elections pushed the state on the verge of financial bankruptcy.”
He added, “We inherited a loan liability of Rs 76,650 crore and by deferring the salaries of employees by five days, the government will save Rs 36 crore every year.” He added that the government had to pay Rs 2,000 crore per month on salaries and pension, besides Rs 3,300 crore annually on the salaries of the employees of boards and corporations.
The Chief Minister said, “The revenue deficit during your time was Rs 6,336 crore, which is the highest till date. The revenue deficit grant that the state received during your five-year rule was Rs 47,128 crore while we received Rs 9,377 crore in 2022-23, besides a GST compensation of mere Rs 88 crore.”
Sukhu said that his government had fulfilled the election promise of restoring the old pension scheme to 1.36 lakh employees. “Despite having surplus revenue, your regime deferred the payment of DA and arrears to government employees and we inherited this liability,” he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, MLAs Bikram Singh, Chandershekhar, Satpal Singh Satti, Vinod Sultanpuri and Randhir Sharma participated in the debate.
