Himachal to Earn ₹37 Crore Annually from Wildflower Hall: Sukhu

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today here said that the state government was committed to make Himachal Pradesh self-reliant by putting an end to corruption and by eradicating corruption and plugging   all loopholes in the system. He said the government was successfully overcoming with various challenges with the support and cooperation of the people, government employees and officers.

The Chief Minister said the Wildflower Hall case had been pending since 2003 and through sustained and effective legal efforts the state government has successfully secured a favorable outcome. As a result, the state government had received Rs. 401 crore. He added that the state would now earn around Rs. 37 crore in revenue every year through e-auction. He said the state had received no revenue from this property over the past 23 years. However, the income generated from it would now be spent on public welfare and development works.

The Chief Minister said this money belonged to the people and would be utilized exclusively for their welfare and betterment. He said this achievement reflects the government’s commitment to transparency, integrity and good governance. He said the present government was making continuous efforts to strengthen the state’s economy and make Himachal Pradesh financially self-reliant.

He said the Centre’s decision to discontinue the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) to Himachal Pradesh had adversely affected the state’s financial position.

Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said he had been willing to raise the issue of restoring the RDG with the Central Government, even with BJP leaders leading the delegation, but they were not willing to support the move. He said the discontinuation of the RDG was causing the state an annual loss of around Rs. 8,000 crore to Rs. 10,000 crore.

The Chief Minister said the state government had restored the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to honor its commitment towards government employees and secure their social and financial future. However, following this decision, the Central Government stopped financial assistance of around Rs. 1,600 crore to the state.

He said the previous BJP government had not taken any effective steps to tackle the growing drug menace in the state. In contrast, the present government had taken strict measures against the illegal drug trade, particularly chitta, since coming to power.

He said the state government had also implemented the PIT-NDPS Act to ensure strict action against those repeatedly involved in drug trafficking.

The Chief Minister said the state government was seriously working towards making Himachal Pradesh drug-free, particularly by eliminating the menace of chitta. Various public awareness activities, including walkathons, were being organised to educate young people about the harmful effects of drug abuse. He added that he was personally taking part in these walkathons to encourage young people to stay away from drugs and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that with the collective support of the people and the continued efforts of the state government, Himachal Pradesh would achieve its goals of becoming drug-free and developing into an economically self-reliant state.