Cong govt in HP increasing revenue by putting financial burden on people: BJP's Rajiv Bindal

Shimla, Nov 23 (PTI) Hitting out at Congress leaders for justifying taking loans, the BJP's Himachal Pradesh unit chief Rajiv Bindal Thursday alleged the state government was trying to increase its revenue by putting a financial burden on the people.

In a statement, he said the state government increased the rate of diesel by Rs 7.50 which has put a huge financial burden on the people and is charging water cess, duty on electricity and has hiked bus fare.  Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said that steps taken by the state government to curb the wasteful expenditure would result in an estimated increase of Rs 1100 crore in revenue during the current financial year.

He had stated the Centre imposed restrictions on Himachal Pradesh for implementing the old pension system.

As a result, the limit for taking loans this fiscal has been fixed at Rs 6,600 crore and the present state government is also not getting a grant of Rs 1780 crore for implementing the old pension system, Sukhu had said.

Bindal said an RTI filed by the BJP had revealed that the Congress government has taken loans of Rs 10,300 crore ever since it came to power. 'The present government is taking loans at an average of Rs 1,000 crore per month which means that it will take loans of Rs 60,000 crore in five years.' 'These loans are being taken without any reason as no hospital, office, institution or roads are being constructed. So what's the point of taking these loans,' Bindal posed.  He said that the Union government has given Rs 2,700 crore to Himachal Pradesh for roads, Rs 1,200 crore for flood relief and Rs 1,000 crore for restoration of four-lane national highways, but the state government does not thank the Centre for that. PTI COR BPL NSD NSD