Shimla – In a dramatic twist to the political narrative in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress government finds itself ensnared in a web of controversy as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) substantiates its earlier accusations of the administration accumulating a colossal debt. Initially refuting the BJP’s claims, the Congress party now faces a compelling challenge as the BJP, led by state president Rajiv Bindal, provides irrefutable proof of the alleged Rs 11,000 crore debt burden.
Rajiv Bindal, in a press release that reverberated through the political landscape, laid bare the details of the Congress government’s purported financial mismanagement. The BJP leader, armed with data obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) request, revealed that Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu’s administration had secured loans totalling Rs 11,000 crore within the first year of its tenure.
The debt, as outlined by Bindal, accumulated incrementally over the past ten months, with loans of Rs 1500 crore in January, Rs 2000 crore in February, Rs 1500 crore in March, Rs 1700 crore in March, Rs 800 crore in June, Rs 1000 crore in June, Rs 500 crore in August, Rs 1000 crore in October, and Rs 800 crore in November 2023.
The Congress government, however, has not officially acknowledged the BJP’s claims or provided any statement refuting the allegations.
Bindal, in his assertion, emphasized that the debt is projected to reach Rs 10,800 crore by December 2023, excluding additional debts from institutions such as NABARD. The BJP accuses the government of financial mismanagement, citing critical projects, including the Bhanupalli-Bilaspur railway line, that are allegedly facing delays due to a lack of cooperation.
