Wage stopped, venture caught and now ‘status’ confiscated…: Understand how Himachal bought ruined as a result of political guarantees

New Delhi/Shimla:

How the monetary disaster of the Himachal Pradesh authorities is deepening will be understood from an order of the Himachal Excessive Court docket. The Excessive Court docket has ordered attachment of the property of Himachal Bhawan positioned in Mandi Home, Delhi. This order was given within the matter of not paying upfront premium i.e. advance quantity of Rs 64 crore to Seli Hydro Energy Mission Firm. The only bench of Decide Ajay Mohan Goyal stated that together with this quantity, the corporate may even must pay 7% curiosity.

In accordance with the order of the Excessive Court docket, curiosity shall be charged from these negligent officers as a result of which the corporate didn’t obtain the upfront premium. Not solely this, the state courtroom has additionally directed the Power Secretary to determine the accused officers inside 15 days. Now the listening to of this case shall be on sixth December. The names of negligent officers may even must be revealed on this listening to. After this determination of the courtroom, the Congress authorities of Himachal Pradesh has come on the backfoot. Now the order of attachment of Himachal Bhavan has turn into a query of the fame of the state authorities.

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Himachal authorities has constructed a constructing of about 32 rooms in Mandi Home, Delhi. It’s known as Himachal Bhawan. Aside from the state leaders, bureaucrats, their kinfolk and generally most of the people additionally keep right here. There’s good association for Himachali meals right here. Moreover, outlets of Himachal items and conventional garments are additionally arrange right here.

Know the entire matter of Himachal Bhawan?
On January 13, 2023, the Himachal Pradesh Excessive Court docket requested the state authorities to pay the excellent electrical energy invoice of Rs 64 crore at Himachal Bhawan. Together with this, an order was additionally given to pay curiosity on the price of seven% every year. However, the Congress authorities ignored the courtroom order and didn’t pay the dues inside the stipulated time. Resulting from this the dues elevated to Rs 150 crore.

After the failure of this venture, arbitration passed off, which dominated in favor of the corporate. After this the federal government was requested to return the upfront cash with 7% curiosity. Then on 18 November 2024, the Excessive Court docket ordered the attachment of Himachal Bhawan in Delhi.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has already stated about not with the ability to pay salaries to ministers and officers as a result of lack of funds. Many tasks are caught as a result of lack of cash. Now the order of attachment of Himachal Bhawan has created an uproar within the politics of the state. CM Sukhu is speaking about submitting an attraction towards the arbitration of the Excessive Court docket, however amidst all this, questions are additionally being raised concerning the insurance policies of the Congress. In actual fact, Congress is getting cornered concerning its assure schemes.

How a lot debt does Himachal authorities have?
Himachal authorities has an impressive mortgage of about Rs 94 thousand crore and staff’ liabilities of Rs 10 thousand crore. Himachal Pradesh’s debt to GSDP ratio has elevated to 42.5% within the funds of 2024-25, which was 40% in 2022-23. That is a lot greater than the typical ratio of all of the states. A lot of the authorities’s earnings is being spent on salaries and pensions, curiosity on previous loans and reimbursement of previous loans. There are steady funds cuts from the Heart additionally. The remaining work has been accomplished by the free schemes and ensures of the Congress authorities.

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First promised jobs, then pulled again
Meeting elections have been held in Himachal Pradesh in October 2022. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took cost of Congress’ campaigning within the state. Within the first assembly of the newly shaped authorities in Himachal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had promised to fill 63,000 vacant authorities posts and create 1 lakh new jobs within the first yr. Nonetheless, later the Congress authorities in Himachal Pradesh determined to abolish these posts on the pretext of ‘non-essential’ posts. As a result of failed insurance policies of Congress, now the scenario of confiscation of Himachal Bhawan has come. Resulting from this, the roles of the individuals working listed below are at risk. It appears as if prime Congress leaders promise jobs and their governments discover methods to provide concrete causes for not fulfilling these guarantees.

The checklist of Congress making guarantees and later going again on them doesn’t finish right here. After failing to pay salaries and pensions to authorities staff and withdrawing the controversial rest room tax amidst uproar, it’s clear that the Himachal Pradesh authorities is going through an financial disaster. Removed from allocating funds for improvement works, the state authorities remains to be struggling to fulfill its each day administrative bills.

What’s the salary-pension cost mannequin?
The mannequin of salary-pension cost of presidency staff in Himachal is considerably totally different from different states. State authorities staff now get wage on the fifth of each month. Whereas retired staff are given pension on the tenth of each month. In many of the remaining states, wage day is the primary day of the month. Himachal Pradesh has made an try to economize by altering the cost mannequin. However by withholding 5 days’ wage, Rs 3 crore monthly and Rs 36 crore yearly are being paid as curiosity on the mortgage. This sample of cost signifies critical monetary disaster of the state authorities.

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu gave the rationale behind altering the wage day, “The explanation for delay in cost of wage and pension is that the federal government needs to save lots of the quantity of curiosity, which needs to be paid on the mortgage taken each month. Does matter.” Sukhu argues, “We spend Rs 1,200 crore a month on salaries and Rs 800 crore a month on pensions. So we want cash. By doing this we are going to get Rs 2,000 crore each month.”

Not solely this, CM Sukhu has blamed the earlier BJP authorities for ‘fiscal indiscipline’ by means of distribution of free water and electrical energy, free bus journey for ladies and opening of 600 academic establishments.

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Controversy concerning rest room tax
Final month, there was quite a lot of uproar in Himachal over the alleged imposition of tax on each family on the premise of per rest room seat. This uproar began after a tweet by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Nonetheless, the Sukhu authorities later rejected these allegations. The Sukhu authorities stated that no such tax has been imposed.

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu stated that his authorities has elevated the charges of water and sewage. These charges have additionally been elevated in rural areas, the place earlier water provide was free. The federal government has charged Rs 100 per home in rural areas and Rs 1000 in city areas for water connection. Sukhu stated, “No such notification was issued in Himachal that sewerage connections shall be given on the premise of bathroom seats put in by the constructing proprietor.”

From this it may be understood how the Himachal Pradesh authorities is failing in offering fundamental amenities to the individuals. If we have a look at the election guarantees and ensures of the Congress, we are going to discover that the Congress has damaged its guarantees, however has later reneged on these guarantees in the identical harsh method.

Congress’s guarantees and their ends in Himachal
– Congress had made the primary promise of offering free electrical energy as much as 300 items monthly to all the homes. Later its quota was decreased to 125 items. Then as quickly because the by-elections have been over within the state, this scheme additionally ended.

-Second promise: The speed of buying milk from milk farmers was mounted at Rs 80-100 per liter. However later the acquisition price for milk farmers was decreased to solely Rs 45-55 per liter.

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-The third promise was made concerning jobs. Congress had stated that it’s going to create 1 lakh jobs yearly and a complete of 5 lakh jobs in 5 years. However inside a yr the federal government couldn’t present common jobs to even 1300 youth.

-The fourth promise was the promise of jobs below the Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Begin-up Fund. However have not bought any job but. The candidates’ protest towards the federal government continues.

-The fifth promise was to provide Rs 1,500 each month to all girls aged 18 to 60 years. However citing lack of funds, the switch of cash to the ladies’s accounts has been stopped for now.

-The sixth promise was to construct a cellular well being clinic. However no such clinic has been constructed but.

-Congress had promised to increase the license of taxis for 15 years. Work has not been completed on this but.

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