Over Rs 4,350 cr lapsed during BJP rule: Himachal CM

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Dharamsala, December 22

Over Rs 4,350 crore grants lapsed under various heads during 2020-21 and 2021-22 in Himachal Pradesh due to non-compliance by officials of various departments, non-availability of funds from the Union Government and the Covid pandemic. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu gave this information in reply to a question of Hoshiyar Singh, Independent MLA from Dehra, during the Question Hour in the Vidhan Sabha today.

The Chief Minister said that the funds lapsed due to the incompetence of the previous BJP government. He added that a total of Rs 2,320 crore lapsed in 2020-21. The lapsed funds comprised Rs 408.37 crore of the Scheduled Caste Development Programme, Rs 381.65 crore of the Tribal Area Development Plan, Rs 117 crore meant for labour and employment training, Rs 45.03 crore of rural development, Rs 68.60 crore of the Forest Department, 465.66 crore of the Health and Welfare Department, Rs 584.68 crore of the Education Department and Rs 245.05 crore of police and allied organisations.

A total of Rs 2,032.27 crore grants lapsed in 2021-22. The lapsed funds included Rs 611.26 crore of the Scheduled Caste Development Programme, Rs 373.40 crore of Tribal Area Development Plan, Rs 21.99 crore meant for labour and employment training, Rs 165 crore of rural development, Rs 58.72 crore of the Forest Department, Rs 360.91 crore of the Health and Welfare Department, Rs 348 crore of the Education Department and Rs 91.62 crore of police and allied organisations.

Hoshiyar Singh said that the government should fix responsibility of the officials concerned in the matter.

To this, Sukhu said that he would look into matter. He added that his government had not allowed even a penny to lapse in the past one year. “We are working hard to get as much money as possible from the Union Government under various schemes,” he said. As the opposition members had walked out of the House, they could not present their views on the issue.

Kuldeep Singh Rathore, Congress MLA from Theog, alleged that the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds were being misused in his constituency. The Chief Minister assured Rathore that he would look into the matter. Sukhu accused the previous BJP government of sacrificing the interests of the state while allotting three power projects to the SJVNL. The projects were allotted to the SJVNL with conditions that these would give just 4 per cent free power to the state in the first phase, 8 per cent free power in the second phase and 12 per cent free power in the third phase. “Our government has issued a notice to the SJVNL to renegotiate the conditions of contract. The state will also take required legal action in the case,” he added.

While responding to a question of Chander Shekhar, Dharampur MLA, the government said that there was no provision to provide Rs 1 lakh for setting up retaining walls around damaged houses in the state.