Stokes rules out early assembly polls in HP

Shimla, Nov 28 (UNI) Ruling out early assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh, Power Minister Vidya Stokes has said that the state Congress Government will complete its five-year tenure.

''The Himachal government will go in for assembly elections only after completing its five-year tenure,'' she told reporters at Nahan last evening.

Accusing the state BJP of spreading rumours about the early assembly elections in the state, Ms Stokes said they were doing this to divert the public's attention from their internal wranglings after failing to conduct smooth elections for the post of state party president.

Referring to former ADGP B S Thind, she said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has been a ''Godfather'' to every citizen of the developing state.

''If any person called me godmother, I will not mind.'' The Power Minister said Himachal was the first state in the country which had set up its own power corporation.

Three hydel projects above 100 MW had been handed over to three parties for more than Rs 500 crore and the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) would get 50 per cent advance as per the agreement.

Lauding the functioning of HPSEB, she said it was for the first time that it had registered a profit of Rs 25 crore last year and was expected to double if next year.

Ms Stokes said every house in the state would be provided with electricity under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidutikaran Yojna (RGGVY) that had been approved by the Centre.

At present, the RGGVY was being implemented in Chamba district of the state, she said, adding that HPSEB was generating 6,600 MW of power as against its target of 20,000 MW.

UNI XC AS HS PDM VV1521