Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has accused the Himachal Pradesh government of pushing the industries under distress.
Former CM and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur (File Photo)
Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has accused the Himachal Pradesh government of pushing the industries under distress.
In a statement issued from Shimla on Saturday, Thakur said, “People in the steel industry have been complaining for months that the government is burdening them with excessive electricity rates, charging more than neighboring states, which has pushed the steel industry to the brink of collapse. Many units have shut down, and they are urging the government to show mercy.”
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Taking a dig at the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’, he said that a government focused on change show mercy.
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“Troubled entrepreneurs are now talking about the tough decisions of the government. When steel industry representatives reached the Chief Minister’s office, they mentioned that in just two years, the government has raised rates so much that running the plants has become impossible,” he claimed.
Thakur further stated that the way the government is targeting industries is not in the state’s interest.
“When the government had promised to provide cheaper electricity to industrialists than the neighboring states to encourage industries, how can the government break that promise,” he questioned, stating that this is a two-way relationship.
“What is the government’s intention behind creating such difficult conditions for industries What does it expect from them?, he questioned, seeking government’s clarification.
“By hurting the industries, the government is not benefiting the state. Industries bring diverse benefits to the state: revenue is generated, and direct and indirect employment is created for millions,” he said.
“In Himachal Pradesh, over a hundred thousand people are directly involved in steel production. Therefore, the government can never benefit the state by troubling industries. The government would be better off by changing its attitude,” he said
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