Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has said that the state government will take more new decisions in the next 6 months to improve the economy of the state.
He further said that the government has not yet withdrawn 125 units of free electricity.
He said this while replying to the question of Congress MLA Kewal Singh Pathania in the House during the Monsoon session here on Monday.
The Chief Minister blamed previous BJP government for the financial crisis and said that they had ruined the economy of the state in five years.
“Now the state government is taking tough decisions to bring the economy back on track,” he claimed.
He said that during the assembly elections year 2022, the Jai Ram Thakur led BJP government announced to provide free electricity and water, despite this, the people expressed faith in the Congress and the party won the election with a huge number of votes.
He accused the Jai Ram Thakur of government opening 1000 primary schools and 300 hospitals without recruitment of teachers nor were the doctors appointed.
The Chief Minister said that ever since the Congress government came to power, from the very first day the government has been working towards making the state self-reliant.
The Chief Minister said that people in the state who do not need subsidized electricity have also been given subsidy.
“Jai Ram Thakur government had given 14 different kinds of subsidy. If there are eight meters in a building, then subsidy was provided on all eight meters,” he said, adding that now the government intends to give subsidy in a single meter in a building.
He said that subsidy of one rupee per unit to entrepreneurs or five star hotel owners given by yhe state government has been withdrawn from September 1.
“The government has taken this decision to make the electricity board self-reliant,” he said, adding that if this is not improved, then the government will have to give Rs 2200 crore to the electricity board for electricity subsidies to consumers.
Faced with such a siruation how will the government be able to provide good education and better health facilities to the people like this, he questioned.
Sukhu further said that the government will work to make the state self-reliant by 2027.
The Chief Minister said that he wants the opposition party BJP to cooperate in improving the state’s economy, however the opposition is running away from the discussion.
He said that if the government is giving Old Pension Scheme (OPS), it is doing so after careful consideration. The BJP during their tenure doled out everything free while in power and now they are blaming the Congress government for the financial mess, he blamed.