Former chief minister and leader of opposition in Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal on Thursday accused Congress government of adopting double standards on land acquisition issue.
He said sometimes back, the Congress leaders in Delhi were demanding 10 times compensation for land acquisition. But in Himachal, the Congress government only paid twice the price of land acquired by it.
Speaking at State Executive meet at Baddi in Solan district, Dhumal said Congress leaders had staged protest in Delhi demanding 10 times compensation for land acquisition but it paid less amount to Himachalis for acquiring their land. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made provisions for providing four times of the market price of land which shows the double standards of Congress party,” he said.
He said that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had granted special package to the state at a time when Congress was in power in the state. “However after coming into power, Congress led UPA government had withdrawn the package,” he said, adding, and now the state government is creating hurdles in setting up of AIIMS, Central University, Hydro Engineering College and expansion of rail network in Himachal.
Though the state government continues to blame central government for lack of funds for various projects, but the fact is that it is the inefficiency of Congress government in properly utilizing the Central grants, he said.
Dhumal also lashed at Congress leaders for their protests against demonetisation and said one hand, Congress party pursue its politics in the name of poor people. “On the other hand, it is staging protests against demonetization for their own vested interests while the fact is that the move would only benefit them,” he said.
The former chief minister said the general public of the state was fed up with inefficient and corrupt government and they would overthrow it in coming assembly elections.