BJP walks out over 'grim financial position'

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 17

Accusing Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of misleading the house and the people of the state on the grim financial position, Opposition BJP today staged a walkout in the Vidhan Sabha even before the budget could be passed.

The BJP legislators led by Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister PK Dhumal left the house as Virbhadra tried to clarify their apprehensions about the financial health of the state. “You are deliberately not revealing the facts regarding the deficit in grant and reasons for raising a loan of Rs 4,500 crore when the deficit was only Rs 945 crore,” he said.

Dhumal said that as compared to Rs 20,600 crore received from the 13th Finance Commission, Himachal has got Rs 40,600 crore from the 14th Finance Commission which was almost double. “We only wish to know that you have made the announcement of winter capital but budgetary provision of not even a single penny has been made for it. So is it not an eyewash to befool people just before the polls,” he said. Even as Chief Minister was halfway through his reply on the debate on budget proposals, a dissatisfied Opposition left the house.

Earlier participating in the debate Jai Ram Thakur said had it not been for the liberal Central assistance, development in the state would come to a standstill. “Another tradition has been started by the Congress regime of ignoring the local MLA and MP in all functions and names of the defeated candidate, some of whom have forfeited their security in polls, are put on foundation and inauguration stones,” he said.

He said demonetization had been widely appreciated by people which is more than evident from the historic win of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Manipur and Goa. “The fate of a national party like Congress in a big state like Uttar Pradesh is so pitiable that they can fit into a seven seater car and go to the Assembly together,” he mocked at Congress performance.

He said the grant of unemployment allowance to jobless was nothing more than a hollow promise and people of only Shimla were being given preference in elections.

Randhir Sharma too lashed out at the Congress regime for pushing the state to the brink as the debt trap would touch an astounding Rs 52,950 crore with the latest loan of Rs 14,382 crore raised by the government. “I am compelled to say that the legal and political management of the Chief Minister is very good but when it comes to financial management, he is a big failure,” he said.

He demanded a high level inquiry into the latest scam of distribution of washing machines and that too only in Shimla (Rural) Assembly segment from the funds of the HP Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. “This is the latest scam after the misuse of temple funds as money of the construction workers is being used to consolidate Congress vote bank,” he alleged.

Before the Chief Minister’s reply, a perturbed Ravinder Ravi (BJP) left the house when he was not allowed by the Speaker to take part in the debate on budget proposals.