Una (HP) (PTI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday accused the previous BJP government pushed the state into a financial crisis by raising loans from the Centre and making unplanned expenditures.
Addressing a public meeting at Daulatpur Chowk in Una district, Sukhu said the BJP kept boasting about its "double engine" government during its five-year tenure but failed to contribute meaningfully to the state’s development.
According to a statement issued here, he said to make Himachal self-reliant, the present Congress government is prepared to take tough decisions to revive the economy, with the cooperation of the state's people.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP, Sukhu alleged that just before the 2022 Assembly elections, the previous government opened around 600 schools and health institutions without proper planning and distributed public assets worth Rs 5,000 crore, wrecking the state's economy.
The Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth Rs 75.10 crore in the Gagret Assembly constituency.
He informed that the survey work for the Hoshiarpur-Nadaun four-lane road project has been completed and the construction work will commence shortly.
Sukhu further assured that the Shivbari Fair will be granted district-level status and the vacant posts of doctors at Daulatpur Chowk and Gagret Primary Health Centres will be filled soon to improve healthcare services in the region.
The chief minister also announced the installation of tube wells in water-scarce areas of the constituency to address the issue of drinking water shortage.
He said that for the first time since Independence, both the chief minister and deputy chief minister are from the Hamirpur Parliamentary Constituency and are regularly discussing strengthening of drinking water, irrigation, and basic infrastructure projects to accelerate on-ground implementation.
Highlighting developmental progress, Sukhu said Una district has become the first solar-powered district in the state, with solar power projects of 32 MW in Pekhubela, 5 MW in Bhanjal, and 10 MW in Aghlaur completed in record time.
Projects with a combined capacity of 163 MW are under construction at an investment of Rs 500 crore, he added.
He also informed that Una would soon be in a position to supply power to other districts and noted the upcoming ultra-modern Bulk Drug Park in Haroli as a major boost to employment and industrial development in the region.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, in his address, said that Rs 170 crore has been invested solely in water supply schemes in the Gagret Assembly Constituency. This will offer a permanent solution to drinking water and irrigation problems, he added.
Criticizing the central government for delaying the release of funds for water schemes in Himachal Pradesh, he said that while the state was supposed to receive Rs 2,000 crore, only Rs 137 crore has been sanctioned so far.