Jai Ram Thakur flays Congress govt for delay in completing development projects

Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur today criticised the state government for allegedly failing to initiate or complete development projects in its nearly two years’ tenure. He highlighted the deteriorating financial condition of the state and disputed Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s claims that the state would attain prosperity and self-reliance by 2027.

Thakur, while addressing mediapersons here, raised concerns over the state’s financial condition. He said that if the Central Government had blocked the revenue deficit grant of Rs 550 crore and the state’s tax share, the government would not have been able to pay salaries. He added that the Central Government had paid Rs 1,479 crore of the state’s tax share in advance to it.

The former Chief Minister pointed to the delay in the execution of critical infrastructure projects, including under the stalled Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana. No bridges damaged in the rain disaster last year had been restored. He stressed the importance of improving connectivity through roads, railways and air for the state’s growth.

Thakur said that two major development projects of the Railways in Himachal, namely Chandigarh-Baddi and Bhanupalli-Beri lines, could not progress as the state government did not provide it’s share for the projects. For the Bhanupalli-Beri railway line, the Central Government would bear 75 per cent of the project cost while the state government would have to foot the remaining cost. Similarly, the state and Central governments would bear 50 per cent construction cost each of the Chandigarh-Baddi railway line project.

Thakur criticised the state government for its inability to fund Centre-sponsored schemes, including a housing project for 93,000 homes in Himachal. He said that the Railway Board had requested the state to pay its 25 per cent share for the Bhanupalli-Beri railway line project, which the government was yet to address.

He also condemned the imposition of new taxes, including a proposed toilet tax and water tax, and accused the Chief Minister of misrepresenting the facts about the funding of the construction of a mosque at Sanjauli in Shimla by the previous BJP government.

Thakur said that the Himachal Government was overly reliant on central support and so there was need for greater accountability and transparency in its dealings. He added that national BJP president JP Nadda had during a recent visit to the state announced Rs 180 crore for AIIMS-Bilaspur to equip it with better health care facilities.