BJP would have cost Himachal dear in Kishau dam deal: Sukhu
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today here said that had BJP government been in power, it would have compromised with the interests of the people of the state in the Kishau dam project. He said the BJP government would accept the previous agreement resulting in huge financial loss to the state. However, the present state government had rejected the old deal in 2023 and strongly defended Himachal’s interests, which was a major victory for strengthening the economic condition of the state. He said that as per the revised agreement the state would generate an additional annual revenue of Rs. 600.
Speaking at the Zee Media Samriddhi Samvad programme here today, Sh. Sukhu said that the Congress government was delivering on ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’ by turning public expectations into reality. He said that various welfare schemes have been implemented on ground for orphaned children, widows, single women, meritorious students and other vulnerable groups.
Referring to severe nature disasters in the state, Sh. Sukhu said the state had increased compensation for fully damaged homes from Rs. 1.3 lakh to Rs. eight lakh using its own resources. It was the highest disaster relief compensation in the country. He added that the government continues to work towards making Himachal a self-reliant state despite a cut in Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) amounting to Rs. 10,000 crore a year.
The Chief Minister said that the Centre government was neglecting the interests of the state, which was affecting the common people of the state. The state was still waiting for the Rs. 1,500 crore as disaster relief fund announced by the Prime Minister during his Kangra visit. He said that the four Members of Parliament of the BJP had not jointly approached the Prime Minister to seek financial assistance.
Sh. Sukhu said that he had personally donated Rs. 51 lakh to help disaster-affected families. He also contributed Rs. 35 lakh to the state during the Covid-19 pandemic when Jai Ram Thakur was the Chief Minister.
In response to a question the Chief Minister said that the BJP uses the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for political purposes ahead of elections. He said that the BJP was divided into several rival factions competing for power but the people of the state has lost faith in their party.
Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the Congress government is working with transparency and accountability and no allegations have been leveled against his Cabinet during the past three-and-a-half years.
Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, Principal Advisor (Media) to the Chief Minister Naresh Chauhan, Kailash Federation Chairman Baldev Thakur and other dignitaries were present at the event.
