Willing to meet PM, FM under BJP leaders to seek aid: Sukhu

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said he was willing to meet the Prime Minister and Union Finance Minister under the leadership of BJP leaders from Himachal as the state was in dire need of finances to deal with monsoon damages.

Talking to media persons here today, he said he was willing to meet the PM as part of delegation led by Himachal BJP leaders, including MPs and MLAs, along with him and ministers to seek early release of the promised Rs 1,500 crore. “I have no ego and will be part of BJP-led delegation to seek help for the state to provide relief to the disaster affected families,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the state was still awaiting Rs 1,500 crore financial assistance announced by the Prime Minister during his visit to the state. “I am leaving for Delhi tomorrow to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. I am probably the only CM who will be meeting the Finance Commission Chairman for the fifth time to seek special allocation for the state,” he said.

The CM said he will take up the issue of removal of the cap imposed by Centre on raising Rs 1,600 crore additional borrowings which was allowed during BJP regime in Himachal. This, he added, had been done after restoration of old pension scheme in Himachal by the Congress regime. “I will also request the Centre to allow two per cent additional borrowing to manage the next two to four months which are financially very difficult,” he said.

Sukhu said his government had raised loans primarily to repay the old loans raised by the previous BJP regime. “We will continue the fight to protect the interest of the state and we have also got success in this endeavour. It is BJP which failed to protect the state’s interest,” he said.

“Though Himachal is being compensated by the Centre Himachal not being a big consumer state with only 75 lakh population, we are losing out on revenue,” he said. He said Himachal is a producer state and despite a big pharma hub in Baddi, the income of Rs 3,500-4,000 crore has been reduced to a mere Rs 150 crore.