Disappointing, lacks vision: BJP on Himachal Pradesh budget

Shimla: The leader of the opposition (LoP), Jai Ram Thakur, on Monday said that the state budget was disappointing and lacked vision, adding that there was no allocation for infrastructure development. Thakur said that it is for the first time in the state's history that there is hardly any increase in the budget size.
"Typically, a budget presentation includes discussions on govt plans, achievements, and future challenges, but the current budget will be known for hiding facts and taking credit for central govt schemes," he claimed. Thakur said that only 24% of the funds will be spent on infrastructure development. He added that from 2018-19 to 2022-23, the expenditure on development works per Rs 100 in the budget was Rs 39, Rs 39, Rs 41.22, Rs 43.94, and Rs 38, respectively. This attitude of the govt in the budget clearly indicates that development is not a priority this time either, he added.
The LoP pointed out that the chief minister has launched four schemes named after himself and the Gandhi family. The first is the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana, with only Rs 1.5 crore spent. The second is the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana, with Rs 21.93 crore spent. He added that there is a conspiracy to increase the minimum age limit from 18 to 21 years in this scheme. The third scheme is the Sukh Ashray Yojana, with Rs 11.35 crore spent. The fourth is the Rajiv Gandhi Start-up Scheme, for which Rs 2.91 crore was spent, with forms collected from the youth before elections. "A total of Rs 37.70 crore has been spent on all these schemes," he claimed.
Thakur said that many announcements made in previous budgets remain unaddressed and the budget presented by the Congress govt on Monday is disappointing and far from the expectations of the common man. The BJP considers this budget entirely anti-development and disappointing, he added.
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