Himachal Diary: Charity by cheating case accused

When an accused in a multi-crore cheating case went to meet the Chief Minister with a contribution in the Sukhashray Fund, it raised many an eyebrow. His picture presenting a cheque of Rs 1.51 lakh was flashed on the CM’s social media account by his staff. It left the people surprised as it seems contribution to such funds absolves one of wrongs, never mind if it involves cheating the students of their due.

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Number crunching required

The government appears to be in confusion over the revenue it could generate through water cess on hydropower projects. While some bureaucrats feel the amount would be around Rs 500-700 crore, the ministers seem to have much higher expectations. While one minister said the cess would bring over Rs 1,000 crore to the state exchequer, another minister claimed the amount could be around Rs 4,000 crore. Some number crunching is required here!

Cong leaders’ silence

The BJP has launched an aggressive attack on the Congress government in the state over the closure of around 600 institutions. Interestingly, despite a frontal attack by the BJP in Kangra, no MLA or minister has come forward to defend the CM over the issue. The party has 10 MLAs in Kangra. Some are conceiving the slumber among the Congress MLAs in the district as silent dissent building up in the party.