Union Minister flays Cong govt for ‘not fulfilling’ election guarantees

Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra today flayed the state government for allegedly duping voters by making false promises before the 2022 Assembly elections.

Malhotra, while addressing mediapersons at Dharamsala, criticised Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for not releasing Rs 30 crore for the transfer of forestland at Jadrangal in Dharamsala for the construction of a campus of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP).

He said that the Union Government had released Rs 250 crore for the Jadrangal campus in Dharamsala, The money had not been utilised as the case file for the release of Rs 30 crore for the transfer of forestland to the university was lying in the Chief Minister’s office for the past more than a year. It was unfortunate that the campus of a prestigious institution was not coming up in Dharamsala because the state government was not releasing Rs 30 crore for it, he alleged.

The Union Minister said that the Congress had come to power in Himachal by promising 300 units of free power and many other guarantees. However, after forming government, it had instead withdrawn 125 units of free power that the previous BJP government was providing to the people of the state.

He added, “The previous BJP government had waived the water bills of people residing in rural areas but the present government had increased the water bills. The financial condition of Himachal, which had consolidated during the BJP rule, is deteriorating and the state is not able to pay even salaries and pension to its employees on time.”

Malhotra said that the Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had provided liberal grants to Himachal. “Rs 23,000 crore is being spent on the widening of highways, including Kiratpur-Manali, Matour-Shimla and Pathankot-Mandi. Besides, Rs 2,500 crore has been provided under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana to the state. Himachal has also been given liberal grants under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana,” he added.

Malhotra said that he was in Dharamsala to attend the conclusion of the 15-day campaign launched by the BJP for sensitising people about sanitation. The campaign had started on the birthday of the Prime Minister on September 17 and ended today. The Prime Minister had urged the people of the country to plant a sapling in the name of their mothers and take care of these till they grow into trees.