No white paper on state's financial position, says CM

Shimla, Sep 21 (UNI) Rejecting former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P K Dhumal's demand for a white paper on the financial position of the state, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said its financial position had improved of late and several schemes have been sanctioned to Himachal owing to its stable position.

''Mr Dhumal is misleading the people of the state on the issue.

He failed to safeguard the interests of the state when he was in power,'' he told reporters here.

Mr Singh accused the previous BJP government of failing to safeguard the state's interests while disbursing power projects to the Central Government agencies like the NHPC and the NTPC without any equity participation.

The then government's failure to get equity participation in Kol Dam and Parbati Hydel Power Projects had caused an estimated loss of Rs 80,000 crore to the state, he said.

Asserting that his government had ensured thirty per cent equity participation in the 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri hydel power project, which was setup during his tenure, he said, this was helping the state earn a revenue of Rs 1,000 crore per annum.

The Chief Minister said Himachal would have earned a revenue of Rs 2,000 crore per year on 29,000 MW of power from Kol Dam and Parbati Hydel Project had the BJP government insisted on similar equity in these projects.

He said the state government has raised the equity participation in these to projects with the Centre and has found favour with the Finance Ministry.

Mr Singh said the issue was being discussed with the Union Power Minister and the government was hopeful that the state's demand would be accepted sooner or later. ''We are hopeful that our demand will be accepted.'' Asserting that the state's financial position had improved since the Congress government returned to power three and a half years ago, he said the Centre had sanctioned several welfare schemes to the state.

''Our position will only improve from now onwards,'' he said.

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