Shimla, February 10 (IANS). Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday reaffirmed the state’s commitment towards the Old Age Pension Scheme (OPS) and various public welfare initiatives, despite the withdrawal of Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) by the Central government.
Chief Minister Sukhu said that the government will continue these schemes by mobilizing its resources and ensure that the fair rights of the people are protected in all circumstances.
The Chief Minister told the media that if the BJP had been in power, they would have replaced OPS with the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), effectively ending the protections currently enjoyed by government employees. Based on his experience of growing up in a normal family, he expressed a deep understanding of the public’s concerns and pledged that his administration would never compromise their interests.
He said the Finance Department manages the technical nuances of the state’s financial position, but the priority of the government remains to mobilize resources to move the state forward.
Chief Minister Sukhu accused the previous BJP government led by Jairam Thakur of gross financial mismanagement between 2018 and 2021.
The CM pointed out that during its five-year tenure, the previous government had received a huge amount of Rs 54,000 crore as RDG and Rs 16,000 crore as GST compensation.
However, he said these funds were misused to benefit contractors and cited the example of expenditure of about Rs 1,000 crore on construction of buildings that are currently lying vacant and not being used.
The Chief Minister said the present government has received only Rs 17,000 crore as RDG in the last three years, but it has successfully maintained strict economic discipline. The government has raised Rs 26,683 crore from its own resources and plans to impose further stringent measures to boost the economy.
He urged the BJP to support the state in achieving its rights before the central government instead of misleading the public. An annual deficit of Rs 10,000 crore would severely constrain the budget of a small hill state like Himachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Sukhu termed the withdrawal of the grant as “step-motherly treatment” by the Center and said Himachal Pradesh remains a revenue deficit state due to its geographical and economic nature. He met the Prime Minister and expressed his resolve to restore the RDG (grant scheme) and described himself as a “warrior” who is ready to fight at every platform for the state’s fair share.
–IANS
ASH/ABM