The lock on the newly constructed Sundernagar Rest House has sparked political controversy in Himachal Pradesh, with the BJP accusing the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government of financial mismanagement and broken promises. BJP spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal said the incident reflects the government’s crumbling fiscal discipline and exposes the truth behind its claims of financial recovery.
Jamwal said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had promised to clear all pending payments of contractors before Diwali, but failed to do so. “The Chief Minister forgot his Diwali promise, and now contractors are forced to lock government properties in protest,” he alleged. He added that development work across the state has stalled due to non-payment of dues, and the treasury has virtually shut down.
The BJP leader claimed that files related to MLA fund projects have been lying unattended for months as departments struggle to release payments. “The Chief Minister makes tall claims from public platforms about improving the financial condition of the state, but the truth is that the treasury doors are closed and no department can make payments for approved works,” Jamwal said.
He pointed out that the Sundernagar Rest House, constructed at a cost of about ₹3.73 crore, has been completed but remains locked because the department has not paid the contractor’s pending dues of around ₹1 crore. “Only the furniture remains to be installed, but for nearly a year, the building has not been handed over due to lack of funds,” he said.
Jamwal added that during the previous BJP government, an additional ₹50 lakh was sanctioned for furnishing the rest house, but that too has been stalled for want of funds. He said that promising contractor payments before Diwali and then failing to deliver is “the height of betrayal” by the Sukhu government.
“The state’s financial condition has collapsed. The government that withholds money from its own contractors and employees is pushing Himachal toward economic recession,” he said, accusing the Congress government of running a “propaganda machine” instead of an administration.
Jamwal further alleged that the state government is using the Disaster Act and poor road conditions as excuses to delay Panchayat elections, while disaster-affected roads have not been repaired for two years. “The roads damaged during the 2023 disaster are still in ruins, hampering rural development,” he said.
He claimed that the Sukhu government has failed to provide citizens with basic amenities such as electricity, water, roads, and employment, and that public trust in the government has eroded. “The Congress government has turned Himachal into a symbol of stagnation, fraud, and inaction,” Jamwal said.
He announced that the BJP will soon launch a statewide mass movement in every district and assembly constituency to expose the Sukhu government’s “false promises and economic mismanagement.” “The people of Himachal now want an end to this incompetent government,” he said.
