Will examine high court order, says CM Sukhu as he faces heat over Himachal Bhawan attachment

Himachal's identity in Delhi at stake, says BJP as issue sparks political debate

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, Updated At : 04:14 PM Nov 19, 2024 IST

Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu speaks with the media in Shimla on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Lalit Kumar.

After facing backlash, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday said that Rs 64 crore upfront premium of a hydro power company had been forfeited as per Hydro Power Policy of 2006.

“I have yet to read the order but there is clause for forfeiture of upfront premium deposited by the power company. Return of the Rs 64 crore amount is decision of an arbitrator and state government has moved court against the order,” he said responding to High Court order of attaching the Himachal Bhawan in Delhi.

He said the government would examine the High Court order and take a decision on the next move.

Sukhu said he was closely associated with the formulation of the Hydro Power Policy 2006 and power projects are allotted on the basis of bidding and upfront money is deposited against reserve price per MW.

With the court order, directing attachment of Himachal Bhawan in Delhi, the issue has snowballed into a major controversy. In a video message released, former CM Jai Ram Thakur said it was very unfortunate that a situation has come where court had to order attachment of Himachal Bhawan, identity of the state in Delhi.

“It is the failure of the government when 70 lawyers who have been appointed as Advocate General (AG), Additional AG and Deputy AG, have failed to defend the government,” he said.

He said Himachal is making national headlines for all the wrong reasons and every citizen of the state is hurt by the latest court order of attaching Himachal Bhawan.

Thakur also said that it would not be surprising if at this pace, even the Himachal Vidhan Sabha and secretariat are attached for the state government’s inefficiency.

State BJP president Rajeev Bindal also lashed out at the state government to defend the state’s interest, forcing the court to pass an order for attachment of Himachal Bhawan. He said government is more concerned about saving the disqualification of the six CPS whose appointment has been declared unconstitutional by the High Court.