Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the revenue of Himachal Pradesh government is estimated to increase by Rs 1100 crore due to various measures adopted by the state government to curb the wasteful expenditure.

“If the natural disaster had not happened, the state would have recorded a revenue hike of Rs.1500 crore,” said Sukhu here on Wednesday.

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The Union Government imposed restrictions on Himachal Pradesh for its decision of implementing the old pension scheme, as a result the limit for taking loan in this fiscal has been fixed at Rs 6600 crore, he said.

Apart from this, a limit of taking a total loan of Rs 2900 crore in three years has been set for externally aided projects, whereas earlier there was no limit for this, he added.

He said that the present state government has taken a loan of only Rs 4100 crore in this financial year whereas the previous BJP government exhausted a loan of Rs 14000 crore in the financial year 2022-23.

“The present state government is also not getting a grant of Rs 1780 crore for implementing OPS,” he rued, reiterating that the BJP leaders should also make sincere efforts to get the Central Government to remove these restrictions imposed on Himachal Pradesh.

The state government is working diligently to enhance its resources adding that the revenue of Rs 500 crore will pour in the state exchequer from the improved auction of liquor contracts this time, he maintained.

The government has amended the lease rules and reduced the lease period from 99 years to 40 years in the interest of the people of the state and manifold decisions have been taken in this direction which includes handing over the Dhaulasiddh, Luhri Phase-1 and Sunni hydro power projects to Himachal Pradesh after 40 years, he informed.

Taking serious note of delay in construction of the Jangi-Thopan-Powari project, the state government has cancelled the project awarded to the SJVNL.

“We are also fighting the legal battle to get back the luxurious Wildflower Hall and have presented the case strongly in the court,” he said, adding that soon the property will be handed over to the state government.

During the tenure of the previous BJP government, there was an investment deficit in the state which had bereft the state from any additional investment, he said.

“The BJP government had become a hub of corruption and many infamous scams including the police recruitment scam took place during the tenure of the BJP government, which was not even investigated by the then leadership. During the tenure of the previous government, HPSSC question paper leak scam, mining scam of about Rs 100 crore and a crypto currency scam had also taken place,” he alleged.

He sought to know why the previous government turned a blind eye even when there was rigging and corruption on such a large scale in the state.