SHIMLA: Leader of the opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Mukesh Agnihotri today dared the Jai Ram Government to bring the white paper on the funds received from the Centre as the government has failed to manage its finances that has pushed the state to the verge of bankruptcy.    

In a statement issued to the media here today Agnihotri charged the Jai Ram Thakur government was misleading the people of the state on the issue of loan raised by the government to hide its failure in managing the finances of the state over the years.

He alleged the BJP government has been flouting FRBM Act time and again, which is against the spirit of finances. This year Government of India in the central budget has announced that the fiscal deficit should be not increased more than 4%. In spite of this Himachal Pradesh government estimated the fiscal deficit for 2022-23 to be 4.98%. This proves the inexperience of the Jai Ram government in managing the finances, which consequently is pushing the state to the verge of bankruptcy, Agnihotri charged.

Citing the reasons for raising of loans in the past, Agnihotri said that it was because of meagre funds devolution by 14^th  Finance Commission and  because the then government did not prepare a proper and realistic document  to present to the Commission. Congress paid for the failure of the then  BJP government to get sufficient deficit grants and the liability of the state increased every year, he charged.

But the document presented to the 15^th Finance Commission was a well-prepared document by the Congress government that presented the real picture of financial position and liabilities of the state, he said.

The present government would have received sufficient funds as per its claims. The government should now admit that financial position worsened due to its financial mismanagement or it should publicly admit that the central government did not give funds to the state as per the recommendation of the 15^th Finance Commission, Agnihotri asked.

He demanded that the Jai Ram Thakur government should bring the “white paper on total funds received from 14^th  Finance Commission and the funds released by the Center as per the recommendation the 15^th Finance Commission till date to clear the confusion. This will nail the lies of the government, he claimed.