BJP leader and Chief Minister Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal has expressed surprise and reacted sharply upon the statement of the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in an election rally at Una yesterday. Prime Minister has alleged non spending of Rs. 10 thousand crore funds allotted by the Government of India. He said that such a misleading and baseless statement was not accepted from a high dignitary like Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world. He said that Prime Minister knows it well that what to talk of Rs. 10 thousand crore not even financial assistance worth Rs. 10 crore was given to the State and his statement is only repetition of the statement made by UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi. He asked the Congress top leadership to reveal it to the people of the State as when this amount was released and for what purpose.
He condemned the allegation labeled with regard to spending of NRHM funds and clarified that compared 50.8 percent average spending during previous Congress regime, BJP surpassed the allotment and achieved 101.12 percent expenditure target. He said that during Congress regime in 2005 an allotment of Rs. 17.87 crore was made out of which only Rs. 7.26 crore were spent which was 40.66 percent of the total allotment. Similarly Rs. 44 crore were allotted for year 2006-07 out of which only Rs. 17.32 crore were spent and the percentage lowered to 39.30%. On coming to power December, 2007 the BJP Government spent Rs. 16.49 crore of the allotment of Rs. 22.78 crore. He said that optimum utilization of the budget under the Mission was ensured during BJP regime. Out of the allotment of Rs. 87.34 crore for the year 2008-09 Rs. 74.32 crore were spent which was 85 percent of the allotment, while out of the allotment of Rs. 134 crore for year 2010-11 Rs. 129 crore had been spent thereby achieving the target of 97 percent. Similarly the allotment of Rs. 149 crore for the year 2011-12 under the Mission Rs. 140 crore were spent thereby ensuring almost cent percent utilization of the budget.
Prof. Dhumal said that infact it was Congress Government which had played with the future of educated unemployed youths which had signed an MOU with the Government of India to not to make any future recruitments and had provided job to only 3386 people during its five years term, while the BJP Government during its present term has provided employment to about 50,000 in Government sector and over one lakh in private sector. Over 15000 teachers have been recruited in education department alone and recruitment of 5000 more teachers is in progress.
He clarified that the enrolment percentage in Government schools has reached 99.7 percent which was much higher to many States of the country and National average. State has emerged a role modal in education in the country due to the consistent efforts made by BJP during past five years. Besides upgrading infrastructure facilities in the schools adequate teachers were employed to impart quality education which has made Himachal Pradesh a leader in literacy in the country.
Chief Minister said that MNREGA scheme was launched in the State in year 2008 and out of the total allocation of Rs. 2055 crore BJP Government has spent Rs. 2069 crore on providing employments to the targeted people. State over spend Rs. 14 crore out of its own funds and is paying equal daily wages to labourers under MNREGA which the Government of India has denied to reimburse the increased daily wages. State has ranked at top in implementation of MNREGA in the country.
Prem Kumar Dhumal termed the statement of the Prime Minister with regard to construction of roads and maintenance as far from the factual position to mislead the people. He said that compare to Rs. 1244 crore spent on road construction during Congress regime, BJP Government has spent Rs. 2282 crore on constructions of over 3700 kms new roads and about 300 motorable bridges. Similarly compared to Rs. 1848 crore spent on maintenance of roads during Congress regime, BJP Government doubled the budget and has spent Rs. 3362 crore over the same.
Dhumal alleged that the Prime Minister in a bid to hide his failures and putting people under the heavy burden of price rise, he is lowering the dignity of his position by making misleading statements. He said that it was unexpected from the head of largest democracy of the world to issue such baseless statements. He reminded the Prime Minister as to what happened to the announcements he had made during Congress regime on 28th May, 2005 when he visited the State to dedicate Nathpa Jhakri Project to the Nation, while addressing the press conference to provide State a package of Rs. 4500 crore which has not seen the light of the day even after expire of seven and half a year period. He cautioned the people of the State not to believe the Congress leaders, no matter how high positioned they may be, since their promises were always hollow and have never ever been implemented on the ground. He said that Congress had been misleading the people of the country for 50 long years, but now they were wise enough to recognize their real faces.
