Governance at all-time low in Himachal, govt passing the buck to Centre: Nadda

Union Minister JP Nadda today said that governance in Himachal was at an all-time low as “the guardians of law have themselves become violators”.

Nadda, who is on a three-day visit to Himachal, said that he was anguished and worried about where the state was heading. “I had been an MLA and minister in Himachal but things were never so bad then,” he said while reacting to the thrashing of two NHAI officials allegedly by a Cabinet minister. “It is not a question of the behaviour of one individual but the image of “Dev Bhoomi”, as Himachal is known, has been sullied,” he added.

He said, “What can one expect from a government where the protectors themselves take law in their own hands. The thrashing of NHAI officials is a perfect example of the dismal state of affairs in Himachal.” He lamented the lackadaisical attitude of the state government in implementing centrally-sponsored schemes. “The responsibility to implement projects and utilise allocated funds for centrally-sponsored schemes is of the state government. What it is doing is just passing the buck on the Central Government by making lame excuses,” he added.

Nadda had criticised the state government over the alleged manhandling of two NHAI officials by Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh in the aftermath of a building collapse at Bhattakuffer in Shimla. “Jab rakshak hi bhakshak ban jaye to kya umeed rakhen,” he had said.

The Union Minister pledged total help and cooperation with the state from the Central Government and said that the Narendra Modi government had always stood with Himachal in the time of a crisis. “The Central Government is committed to extending all possible help to Himachal in the need of hour, as has been the case in the past,” he added.

Nadda said that the Central Government had provided Himachal Rs 1,700 crore post-2023 monsoon disaster and this time also, the state had been given Rs 1,000 crore. The BJP national president regretted the inability of the state government to utilise on time the central funds. “A narrative is being created that the Central Government has not helped Himachal, which is not true. The reality is otherwise,” he added.

Nadda said that the Himachal Government had spent mere 24 per cent of the budget given by the 15th Finance Commission. He added that the Union Ministry of Economic Affairs had provided Rs 1,000 crore to Himachal under the JICA project and the state government’s share in it would be mere Rs 149 crore.

Himachal Tribune