Ex-CM seeks white paper on state’s ‘pink financial health’

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 24

Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal today blamed the Congress government in state for wreaking vengeance, implicating political opponents in false cases, shielding mafias and derailing the education sector in its two-year rule.

He said the Virbhadra Singh government in Himachal had failed miserably on the development front and good governance, aggravating the financial crisis.

“Development works have come to a halt, employees are not being paid their dues, posts in health and educational institutions are lying vacant and state universities are being throttled and yet the government claims that there is no financial crisis in the state,” he said.

Demanding a white paper on the state’s “pink financial health”, Dhumal said the government must tell people about the loans raised and other borrowings and financial liabilities of the state, per capita loan liability and also spell out the strategy to tide over the crisis.

He said the tourism sector had become biggest casualty during the Congress regime.

He said: “It is ironical that we used to advertise to invite tourists to the state, but the present government has failed in maintaining the basic services in spite of prior warning of snowfall by the Meteorological Department. It instead issued advisory asking tourists to avoid coming to Kullu-Manali.”

The Congress party came to power by maligning the BJP government and making false charges of sale of Himachal, but after coming to power it not only turned a blind eye to violations in land purchase in violation of Section 118 of the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, but also regularised cases in which land purchased in violation of law were vested in the government, Dhumal said.

The Congress government amended the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act five times to dilute the provisions of Section 118 to facilitate “sale of Himachal”, he said.

“The roads are in pathetic conditions leading to accidents, apple growers are suffering due to the delay in completion of Theog-Hatkoti road, the development works and schemes started by the BJP government have been put on backburner on political considerations,” the former CM said.