BJP calls it era of prosperity, Cong money wastage

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 6

Ruling BJP and Opposition Congress leaders are engaged in a bitter war of words mincing no words in running down each other ahead of the investors’ meet slated to begin tomorrow.

While the BJP government has created hype over the event and has made all-out efforts to attract investment, Congress has criticised it as an “extravaganza” and wastage of money that would prove to be a futile exercise.

As the government has made various concessions and exempted upcoming units from various permissions, inspections and NOCs for ease of doing business, Congress has described the steps as blatant violation of various regulations that would harm the state’s interests.

However, the Congress was caught on the wrong foot by demanding special industrial and economic package for the state as it was the UPA government at the Centre and Congress government in the state when the industrial package given to the state by the Vajpayee government in 2003 for 10 years was curtailed.

“We are not opposed to investment but the BJP government is proceeding without realising the ground realities and undermining the challenges like land constraint as a majority of government land is forest land. It seems that the government would act as a middleman by proving private land to investors by tampering with Section 118 of the Land Tenancy Act,” said HPCC president Kuldeep Rathore.

The industries are shutting down and no effort is being made to revive the already existing industries in the state, he said, adding that when the MoUs worth Rs83,000 crore have already been signed why the state is putting burden on the state exchequer by spending so much on the event.

Terming the move historic, BJP state chief Satpal Satti said signing of 566 MoUs would usher in a new era of prosperity and provide employment to over 1.50 lakh youth in the state which would strengthen the state’s economy and create new avenues for its residents.

The results of the CM’s efforts would be visible soon and the investment coming to the state would accelerate economic activities and create jobs for the youth, said BJP spokesman Randhir Sharma.