Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu: Wasteful expenses cut, revenue to increase by Rs 1,100 crore

Advertisement

Shimla, November 22

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that the revenue of the government was estimated to increase by Rs 1,100 crore due to various measures adopted to curb wasteful expenditure in the state.

Rs 500 cr more from liquor contract auction

The government is working diligently to enhance resources. The state’s revenue will increase by Rs 500 crore due to an improved auction of liquor contracts this time. The government has amended lease rules and reduced the lease period from 99 years to 40 years. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister

“Had the natural disaster not happened, the revenue of the state would have increased by Rs 1,500 crore. The previous BJP government took a loan of Rs 14,000 crore in 2022-23 but still did not pay arrears to state employees,” said Sukhu while talking to mediapersons here.

The Chief Minister said that during the previous BJP government, there was an investment deficit in the state. A scam of Rs 100 crore involving illegal mining occurred in the absence of a mining plan or consent to operate. “There was rampant corruption during the previous BJP regime and many scams, including the ones related to police recruitment and cryptocurrency, took place during the tenure of the BJP government but were not investigated,” he added.

He said, “My government has taken a loan of only Rs 4,100 crore in this financial year while the previous BJP government exhausted a loan of Rs. 14,000 crore in financial year 2022-23. “The state government is also not getting Rs 1,780 crore grant for implementing the old pension scheme (OPS). I urge state BJP leaders to convince the Central Government to remove restrictions imposed on Himachal,” he added.

Sukhu said that the Union Government had imposed restrictions on Himachal for implementing the OPS and fixed a limit of Rs 6,600 crore for taking loan in this fiscal year. “A limit of Rs 2,900 crore loan that can be taken in three years has been set for externally-aided projects while earlier there was no limit,” he lamented.

He said that the state government was working diligently to enhance resources. The state’s revenue would increase by Rs 500 crore due to an improved auction of liquor contracts this time. “The government has amended lease rules and reduced the lease period from 99 years to 40 years in the interest of people. Besides, it has been decided to ensure that the Dhaulasiddh, Luhri Phase-1 and the Sunni hydropower projects were handed back to Himachal Pradesh after 40 years,” he added.

He said that the government had cancelled the Jangi-Thopan-Powari project awarded to the SJVNL due to the delay in the construction work. “We are also fighting a legal battle to get back the luxurious Wildflower Hall and have presented our case strongly in court,” he said, adding that the property would soon be handed back to the government.