Need-based institutions will be opened in state: Sukhu

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said need-based institutions would be opened in the state only after reflecting them in the Budget and creating posts unlike the previous BJP regime which opened institutions without budgetary allocation.

The Chief Minister was replying to a query on opening of new institutions by Randhir Sharma, Rakesh Jamwal and Satpal Satti during question hour in the Vidhan Sabha today. “Institutions running for six to eight months have been closed. Will you review your decision of closing 1,000 institutions which were need based,” demanded Leader of Opposition (LoP),” said Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur.

The Chief Minister assured that need-based institutions, after surveying demographical and geographical constraints, will be opened after making budgetary allocation and creating staff. He charged the previous BJP regime with opening institutions without any budgetary provision and creating posts.

Replying to a query by Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri, Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said the state government has no control over money being spent by industry under corporate social responsibility (CSR). “Despite this, the government tries to persuade the industry to spend the CSR money in Himachal on development works in the area,” he said.

He said industries having net worth of Rs 500 crore, turnover of Rs 100 crore, or net profit of Rs 5 crore have to spend two per cent amount on CSR activities.

Chauhan said many industrial houses have units outside Himachal where they spend this CSR money. “We cannot take action but we can only persuade them to spend their CSR on various development activities in Himachal,” he assured. Efforts will be made after seeking legal opinion that CSR money is spent in Himachal even though the number of such big industrial units for whom it is mandatory to spend on CSR is below 100.

Replying to a query by Nahan MLA Ajay Solanki, Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Rajesh Dharmani said most of development activity is taking place along the national highways and it is to regulate haphazard growth that many new areas have been brought under TCP norms. “We are checking haphazard growth to ensure that no construction obstructs the valley view and buildings remain one metre below the road level as per court directives,” he said.

Dharmani said in Himachal 34 development plans have been notified while 11 have expired after 20 years period in 2021, which includes Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur, Nahan, Mandi, Kasauli, Rampur and Dalhousie. “Even after the expiry of development plans, the TCP regulation still remain in force. Work on preparing development plan of eight Planning Areas is underway and the development plans of Rampur, Dalhousie and Kasauli will be made later from our internal resources,” said Dharmani.