Shimla: Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state government would not bow before anyone in its fight to safeguard the rights and interests of Himachal Pradesh. Addressing a public meeting at Sarahan in Sirmaur district today on the concluding ceremony of the Vaman Dwadashi Fair, he said the recent agreement on the Kishau Multipurpose Project was a historic achievement of state government. He said consensus on the Kishau project had remained elusive for several years.
Sukhu said that, with the blessings and support of the people, the agreement would save approximately Rs. 3,000 crore from the state exchequer, which would otherwise have been spent on the power project. He added that once the project becomes operational, Himachal Pradesh is expected to receive annual revenue of around Rs. 1,200-1,500 crore.
Referring to the Wildflower Hall case, the Chief Minister said the state had won the legal battle in the Supreme Court after 23 years. He said the verdict had resulted in Rs. 401 crore being credited to the state exchequer and that the hotel was generating approximately Rs. 2 crore per month in revenue for the State.
He said the state government had restored the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in its very first Cabinet meeting and that more employees would be brought under the scheme in the future. He said that if the BJP returned to power in the state, it would discontinue OPS to the employees.
Sukhu said the State Government was opening CBSE schools to provide quality education in rural areas. He said education in private CBSE schools could cost around Rs. 1 lakh, whereas similar facilities in government schools would be made available at a much lower cost. ‘I come from an ordinary family and, therefore, understand the difficulties being faced by the common people,’ he said.
The Chief Minister said that by taking measures to curb corruption, the state government had so far saved approximately Rs. 3,000 crore of public money. He said these resources were being utilised for welfare schemes for orphaned children, widows and vulnerable sections.
