BJP Criticizes Congress for Himachal Pradesh's Financial Woes

Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Jai Ram Thakur, criticised the Congress government for the state's financial crisis. He insisted that the ruling party must address the issue. During a debate on the state's financial status under Rule 130, Thakur highlighted that only 28% of the budget is now available for development, compared to 39.56% in 2017-18.

Thakur pointed out that 40% of the current budget is spent on salaries and pensions, a significant increase from 27% in 2017-18. He noted that when the BJP took power in 2017, the debt was Rs 48,000 crore. The BJP government raised a loan of Rs 19,600 crore over five years, leaving a loan limit of Rs 6,000 crore.

Financial Crisis and Debt Concerns

The former chief minister warned that the current government might breach the Rs one lakh crore loan mark. He emphasised that contributions under the National Pension Scheme (NPS) belong to employees and not the state government. Thakur accused the government of wasteful spending, including Rs 6 crore defending Chief Parliamentary Secretaries' appointments and increasing a Board chairperson's salary from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1.30 lakh.

Thakur also mentioned that cement prices have risen by Rs 100 per bag in the past 20 months. He questioned how the state plans to become self-reliant by 2027. Initiating the discussion, Bhawani Singh Pathania from Congress stated that election freebies are over and now focus should be on improving services qualitatively.

Government's Response and Accusations

BJP's Vipin Singh Parmar claimed that state debt has surged to Rs 94,000 crore in the last 18 months, raising per capita debt to Rs 1.17 lakh. He alleged plans to mortgage temple gold and silver to manage the crisis. However, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri denied such plans and accused the opposition of creating unrest.

Agnihotri assured there are no plans to abolish concessions for women in HRTC buses. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan blamed the previous BJP government for the state's financial troubles.

The debate highlighted significant concerns about Himachal Pradesh's financial management and future strategies. Both parties exchanged accusations while discussing solutions for economic stability.