SHIMLA: Himachal Ministers here today slam BJP for Withholding State’s Funds as they have failed to take up Himachal Interests with the BJP Led government at the Centre.
Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan and PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh have criticized BJP leaders JP Nadda and Anurag Thakur for failing to secure financial support for Himachal Pradesh from the Centre.
The ministers accused the BJP of undermining the state's progress, asking, “When will the BJP deliver the funds it owes to Himachal?”
They labeled BJP's actions as “anti-Himachal” and highlighted the central government's withholding of nearly Rs. 10,000 crore, which includes employee contributions under the National Pension Scheme (NPS).
Referring to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) reinstated for 1.36 lakh state employees, the ministers claimed BJP has been "conspiring" against the Congress government since its implementation.
They condemned the Centre for blocking Rs. 1,780 crore needed for OPS and added, “The Union Government is deliberately withholding employees' contributions towards NPS.”
Chauhan and Singh further criticized the BJP for burdening Himachal's treasury with Rs. 5,000 crore in last-minute freebies during its regime and neglecting disaster relief funds.
They revealed that Congress has allocated Rs. 4,500 crore from its own resources to rebuild 23,000 houses and provide relief, while BJP leaders “walked out” of the State Assembly, abandoning calls to declare the state's disaster as a national calamity.
The ministers also rebuked the BJP for spreading misinformation about the state’s economy.
“The Congress government is focused on systematic reforms towards self-reliance,” they said, while also reminding the public of the BJP's involvement in job recruitment and mining scams.
Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania joined the attack, reminding BJP of their responsibility after securing 62% votes in the Lok Sabha polls.
He stated, "It’s the Union Government’s constitutional duty to release Himachal’s rightful funds, but they’ve failed to act."
