Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday set-out an ambitious target of making the state fully self-reliant by 2027 and financially the best in the country by 2030.
Replying to debate on the state’s Budget, which he had presented in the House on February 17, the chief minister said the measures he had initiated to mobilise resources had started showing results.
The economy is slowly coming back on the rails after the previous BJP government burdened the state with debt exceeding Rs 70,000 crore and a huge fiscal liability including repayment of the arrears of revised salaries and pensions.
The chief minister said the government was moving ahead to fulfil 10-guarantees given to the people of the state during the elections. Despite resource problems, the government has implemented the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and other promises including jobs, were also being fulfilled in a phased manner. The government is moving fast to fill-up all vacant posts and one lakh jobs will be provided in the government sector during the five year term of the government. CM Sukhu said the women in Lahaul-Spiti have started receiving Rs 1500 per month and those in other parts will also get the social security pensions in a phased manner.
Sukhu said it was a tough task to prepare the state’s Budget for the year 2024-25 because of the state’s financial position and losses which Himachal Pradesh has suffered due to unprecedented rains, floods and landslides during the monsoon.