Himachal Govt hasn't properly used Rs 1,782 cr Central disaster relief: Ajay Bhatt

Shimla, May 3

Union Minister of State for Defence and Tourism Ajay Bhatt today said that the country had set a new benchmark in development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He added that Himachal, too, had not remained untouched in terms of progress as the Central Government had given several projects like AIIMS, Hydro Engineering College, IIM-Sirmaur, PGI satellite centre, bulk drug park, medical devices park, highway widening to four lanes, Renukaji hydropower project, Sunni hydropower project and the IIT-Mandi, etc.

He said that the state was given Rs 1,782 crore as disaster relief grant but the government neither utilised the funds properly nor spent it fully till date.

Bhatt, while addressing a ‘Panna Pramukh’ sammelan here, said that the country had moved backwards when the Congress was in power but ever since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, the country had progressed at a fast pace. “During the 10-year tenure of the Congress government from 2004 to 2014, the country’s economy, roads, railways and foreign direct investment all were in a bad shape, but under Prime Minister Modi India has become the fifth largest economy of the world,” he added.