It’s not for the first time Congress has alleged BJP for claiming the development schemes started during Congress regime. The war of words has started on the same issue yet again. Raising eyebrows over a newspaper advertisement by Dhumal government that lists BJPs achievements during its tenure in HP, Congress claims they are funded by the UPA government not BJP.
Especially came to counter the advertisements campaign of BJP, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad hold a press conference in Shimla and released a nine-page press release to show how the Dhumal government ads were misleading. Union Minister stated that the state Govt has taken central schemes which are fully funded by the Centre and has plastered their logo and photos alongside to appropriate them as if they are their own. He termed it unfortunate and immoral.
The Congress’ complaint list includes new hospital project in Baddi, a medical college-cum-hospital in Mandi, Rs. 767 crores released to the state under the National Rural Health Mission and even the policy of free medicines for which Rs. 10 crore has been released from the Centre. It also is miffed that the central Govt’s referral transport scheme, better known as 108 ambulance service is also being shown as an achievement of the Dhumal government. Azad claims that 112 of these ambulances have been provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India and an additional 32 ambulances have been sanctioned for the current fiscal.
However, on the other side, BJP rules out the claims and accusations of Union Minister and stated that it is only to mislead the electors of the state. Senior BJP leader Praveen Sharma slammed Ghulam Nabi Azad statement and advised him to verify facts first. He stated that Azad’s misleading statement is a bundle of lie and are away from facts and figure. He said that Himachal Pradesh didn’t get its due share and whatever centre Govt has released in the form of assistance that was a small part of its share. He claimed that BJP led Govt had implemented the centre funded scheme appropriately and for it, state got awards from none other then Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. He advised Congress leaders to speak on facts.
