Congress is desperate to steal the praise of Centre’s schemes: Balveer Verma
The Congress government of the state seems to be hastily getting its name registered to capitalize on the BJP’s smart city scheme. BJP MLA and spokesperson Balveer Verma, raising questions on the inauguration of Dhali Tunnel by the Chief Minister of the state yesterday, said that our government has built this tunnel with great intensity.
He said that Prime Minister Modi had launched the Smart City Scheme on June 25, 2015 for 100 cities of the country. In which two cities of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla and Dharamshala were under this scheme. Under that, all the money came from the central government. Addressing the media, he said that the British had built the Dhali Tunnel around 1857 and most of the roads in Shimla were also built by the British.
He said that Congress remained in power in the state for so many years and the Congress government did not do any work inside Shimla city. Shimla city has received a lot of money under the Smart City Mission, under which Dhali Tunnel was also constructed. He said that this is the first tunnel in the country which has been completed so quickly. No tunnel in the country has been completed so quickly before. Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur had laid its foundation stone in March 2022 and it was completed from one end to the other during the previous BJP government. He said that Jairam Thakur had inspected it during the BJP government itself and had given orders to make parfait etc. after going to the spot. The Congress government has only painted and decorated the gate. The entire tunnel was built during the tenure of the BJP government.
Making a scathing attack on the government, he said that Congress ministers, MLAs and Chief Ministers make statements which have no evidence and are beyond facts. He said that if the schemes and money of the Government of India do not come to Himachal Pradesh, then all the development of Himachal Pradesh will stop. He said that Himachal Pradesh has received Rs 2675 crore under the Prime Minister Rural Road Scheme, with this amount the Public Works Department is running. Himachal Pradesh has received money from CRF Center Road Fund. Himachal Pradesh has received money from the National Highway and loan from NABARD has been given to Himachal Pradesh on MLA priority, that too from the Central Government. The money for four lines is also being received from the Central Government. He said that all the developments in the PWD department are being done with the money of the Central Government, and all the works under Jal Jeevan Mission are also being completed with the help of the Central Government. When Himachal Pradesh got Rs 500 crore for Shimla city, out of that, NDS of Rs 58 crore was done in the BJP government, and out of this, around Rs 53 crore was spent on the tunnel and around Rs 12 crore was spent on its side development. Expenses have been incurred for. He said that the side development has still not been completed completely. Its work is still going on, the Congress government hastily inaugurated it yesterday.
Balveer Verma said in strong words that Congress is trying to take credit even where it did not even move a single pickaxe. He also expressed surprise that there is a Congress government in the state and he is unable to understand why it is in a hurry to install a plaque in its name and is not even waiting for the completion of the tunnel work.
