Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday presented the first and last instalment of the Supplementary budget of Rs 10,307.59 crore, including Rs 7,267.41 crore under State Schemes and Rs 3,040.18 crore under centrally sponsored schemes.
Presenting the demands, Sukhu said that major expenditure proposed under the State Schemes included Rs 3,367.76 crore for repayment of ways and means, advance/overdraft, 696.44 crore for water supply and sanitation, Rs 598.71 crore for pensions and other retirement benefits, Rs 442.09 crore for assistance to Himachal Road Transport Corporation, Rs 279.32 crore for construction of hospitals, HIMCARE yojana and Mukhya Mantri Chikitsa Sahayata Kosh.
A sum of Rs 215.02 crore proposed for roads and bridges, Rs 110.76 crore construction of multipurpose buildings, Mini Dwarka, Secretariats, State Guest House in New Delhi and maintenance of various office building, Rs 110.67 crore rail projects, Rs 102.47 crore for Urban Local Bodies under 15th Finance Commission and AMRUT for construction of Dhalli Tunnel and Khalini Flyover in Shimla.
Himachal suffered losses of Rs 9,905 crore due to heavy rains: Revenue minister
The state suffered losses to the tune of Rs 9,905.77 crore due to heavy rains during monsoon in 2023, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said in his reply to a question of Congress MLA Rajinder Rana. Negi said that Rs 1,254.22 crore rupees were released to the districts and various departments for relief and Rs 483.16 crore have been released for compensation. No special package has been provided by the central government for disaster relief to the state and a total of Rs 787.25 crore has been given to the state, he said.
Replying to another question of Chaitanya Sharma (Congress), Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said that online registration of workers would be done and gaps would be reviewed.
He said that 80 per cent employment is being given to the state’s youths in many industries but this is not happening in some industries. He said that Rs 350 per day is given to unskilled labourers, Rs 387 to semi-skilled, Rs 435 to skilled and Rs 518 to highly skilled labourers in the state.
Town and Country Planning Minister Vikramaditya Singh told Kewal Singh Pathania (Congress) in a written reply that 11,851 houses have been constructed in the state in violation of the Town and Planning Act, enforced on September 30, 1977. As many as 9,682 violations have been committed in areas under the Town and Country Department and 2,169 violations in municipal areas, including 1,117 in the Shimla Municipal Corporation.
BJP stages walkout
The BJP MLAs walked out from the assembly on Thursday demanding an assurance from the state government that the FIR against those protesting over the construction of Ali Khad drinking water scheme would be withdrawn. The BJP claims if water is lifted for this scheme from Ali Khad 'stream', several panchayat areas in Naina Devi and Bilas Sadar would not get enough water. The BJP's move comes as a case of rioting and obstructing public servants from performing their duty has been registered against the protestors on the Solan-Bilaspur border post their dissent on Tuesday. BJP MLA Randhir Sharma, who raised this issue in the House, demanded that the work on the scheme be stopped forthwith and the FIR against the protesters be withdrawn.
