Himachal Pradesh facing financial crisis: CM
Hamirpur, February 4
The state is facing a financial crisis, as the previous BJP government has left huge liabilities of over Rs 91,000 crore, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here today.
Sukhu, while addressing a public meeting, said that besides loans of over Rs 75,000 crore, there was a liability of over Rs 10,000 crore regarding payment of arrears to pensioners and serving employees. He added that there were other pending payments of over Rs 6,000 crore but still development works would continue in the state.
He said that some hard steps would be taken to bring the derailed economy on track and urged people to cooperate with the government.
Sukhu said that the government was committed to fulfilling all guarantees that the Congress had given to people before the Assembly elections but all these would take time. He added that the government had implemented the old pension scheme (OPS) for government employees and soon Rs 1,500 per month would be given to every woman aged between 18 and 60 years in the state.
He said that the government had decided to raise the age limit from 18 years to 27 years to accommodate orphans in orphanages. It had also decided to give four biswas of land with funds to orphans for the construction of houses.
Sukhu said that the government would buy milk from dairy farmers for Rs 80 a litre to improve their economy. He added that the state was first in the country to start electric vehicles in the Transport Department. This would bring the state transport corporation in profit and also reduce environment pollution.
Earlier, local Independent MLA Ashish Sharma took with the Chief Minister issues like the construction of a bus stand, indoor stadium and the development of the Gasota Mahadev Temple as a religious tourism centre. Kuldeep Pathania, Chairman of KCC Bank, requested the Chief Minister to establish the office of Divisional Commissioner at Hamirpur.
Sunil Sharma Bittu, political adviser to Chief Minister, Barsar MLA Inder Dutt Lakhanpal and Bhoranj MLA Suresh Kumar also addressed the gathering. The Chief Minister assured people that the work on the bus stand project would be expedited and an indoor stadium would also be constructed here.
World-class facilities at Hamirpur hospital
- The CM said Dr Radhakrishnan Govt Medical College and Hospital in Hamirpur would have world-class facilities and latest and advanced equipment
- He said that the medical college was his dream project that he had got sanctioned in 2014 from then Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad
