Disenchanted by the reply of the Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during the discussion on the Budget for the year 2023-24, the Opposition BJP staged a walkout and created a ruckus in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly and on Thursday.

Shortly after the chief minister mentioned about giving a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to 2.31 lakh to women of the state, the entire Opposition stood up and started demanding clarification from the government on the matter.

A huge uproar ensued from both sides and the chief minister’s speech was drowned in the noise. The Opposition kept on demanding time to present its point, but the chief minister continued with his speech.

At this point, the entire Opposition members got up from their seats and came into the well of the House and after shouting slogans for some time, returned to their seats and again demanded the Speaker to be allowed to present their stand.

On being denied permission to speak, the Opposition walked out of the House.

Responding to the discussion on the budget, the Sukhu said that the state is passing through an economic crisis and the government is forced to take loans. The former BJP government has left a debt of Rs 75,000 crore and liabilities of Rs 11,000 crore on the state.

The previous government, he further said had announced the Sixth Pay Commission, but its arrears were not given to the employees and officers and pensioners.

“Not only this, the DA of Rs 990 crore was announced by the previous government just before the elections, but it was not released,” he said.

Due to the financial mismanagement of the previous government, his government had to take a loan of Rs 4,300 crore in just three months of its rule, he said, adding that a loan of Rs 1,300 crore was taken in January, Rs 1,500 crore in February and Rs 1,500 crore in March.

He pointed out that every person in the state has a debt of Rs 92,833.

The chief minister said that the impact of the schemes announced in the current budget would start showing in the next one year. If Himachal will be able to achieve 50 per cent of the target of green state by March 2026, then the debt burden on the state would reduce considerably.

The present government wants to see Himachal standing on its own feet and for this the government will take more tough decisions in the coming days, he added.