Dhumal describes HP Budget populist

Shimla, Mar 3 (UNI) Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister P K Dhumal described the 2006-07 budget, presented in the state Assembly today, as a populist one that failed to lessen the debt burden of the state.

Talking to reporters here, he said a cursory look at the budget had failed to enthuse, as no steps were taken to lessen the debt burden, which was the highest among all the states of the country except Mizoram.

Mr Dhumal said the Chief Minister had himself on the floor of the House detailed that expenditure on every Rs 100, the state would have Rs 75 receipts, including transfers from the Centre, while the gap of Rs 25 would be met through borrowings.

Out of a total of Rs 8700 crore projected as expenditure, the state government would have to borrow a sum of Rs 2,200, which would only worsen the debt burden on the state, which was already reeling under Rs 16,532 crore debt up till March 2005, he said.

Mr Dhumal said the government's claim that it would provide 35,000 employment opportunities to the people in the government sector alone was false, as more than 21,000 people would be employed as anganwadi workers, water carriers and part time Ayurvedas workers.

''The government claims that it would employ about 35,000 people is false and misleading.'' The Virbhadra Singh government had failed miserably in its promise of providing government employment to one person in each family as not much new recruitment were made last year, he said.

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