State got more aid during NDA regime: Dhumal

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 9

Leader of the Opposition PK Dhumal today challenged Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to come out with details of the Central assistance received by Himachal during the UPA and the present NDA regime or else stop misleading people.

In a statement issued here today, Dhumal said as compared to the previous UPA regime, the Modi government had provided the Himachal government with Rs 4,000 crore more aid. “Despite this, the Chief Minister is accusing the Centre of discriminating with Himachal which only reflects that he is thankless and opportunist,” he remarked.

He said it was owing to the poor fiscal management and wrong policies of the state government that the state had not utilised the additional Rs 4,000 crore given to Himachal.

“The wasteful expenditure being made by the Virbhadra government on providing facilities and perks to the defeated Congressmen is costing the government dear and draining the coffers,” he remarked.

The former Chief Minister said Virbhadra had been misleading the public as the statistics revealed by the Union Finance Ministry presented a different picture. “As compared to a grant of Rs 21,000 crore by the 13th Finance Commission, the state has received Rs 40,625 crore from the 14th Finance Commission award,” he said. He added that besides this, Himachal would get Rs 27,764 as its share in Central taxes during the next five years as compared to Rs 11,131 crore it received during the last five years. He said during the UPA regime, Himachal received Rs 1,736 crore in 2013-14 while the state has already received Rs 4,616 crore during the current financial year.

He said as far as the share of the state in Central taxes is concerned, it got Rs 2,459 as compared to Rs 3,744 which it would get in this financial year.