Himachal govt comes under fire from BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi over 'unkept' promises

Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi criticized the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh for accumulating ₹25,000 crore in loans within 16 months, failing to fulfill electoral promises, and halting Union welfare programs. She praised the Modi government for economic growth and infrastructure development. Lekhi alleged that the state government failed to contribute its share to HIMCARE and Ayushman schemes, leading to declining health services. She claimed the government raised excessive loans and announced a women's welfare scheme without budgetary allocation. Lekhi highlighted the increased import duty on apples due to international trade agreements signed during the Congress-led UPA government.

Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi on Sunday slammed Congress government in Himachal Pradesh for raising loans amounting Rs 25,000 crore in sixteen months of being in power, and not fulfilling the promises made ahead of assembly polls.

"'Ye sukh ki nahin, dukh ki sarkar hai' (it is not a government of happiness but of grief)," Lekhi said addressing media persons, in a reference to the state's chief minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

"It has failed to fulfil the promise of giving 1 lakh jobs every year and giving Rs 1,500 per month to women and has stopped the Union government's welfare schemes such as Ayushman Bharat by not giving its share, '' she said.

''The BJP has gone to people with its report card for seeking a third term for Prime Minister Modi for its vision of developed India by 2047, while the performance of 16-month-old Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government in Himachal has been dismal and it has nothing to show,'' said Lekhi who is the Union minister of state of external affairs and culture.

Central funds amounting to Rs 1,200 crore allotted to Himachal Pradesh have lapsed as the state government failed to give its share, she said.

The minister lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the country to new heights.

Claiming that the Modi government has fulfilled the promise to give employment, Lekhi said that the Indian economy which was among the "five fragile" economies in 2014 was now among five top economies. Massive investment has been made in infrastructure development, 'Har Ghar ko Nal' scheme (tap to every household), rural housing, HIMCARE and Ayushman Bharat schemes, she said.

HIMCARE is a scheme of the Himachal Pradesh government to provide free treatment to patients, along the lines of Ayushman Bharat.

The minister added that an increase in the number of EPF (Employees Provident Fund) members is evidence of employment generation.

Lekhi said the state government has not contributed its share of Rs 300 crore under HIMCARE and Ayushman schemes and health services are crumbling in the state. More than 4.85 lakh people in the state got free treatment from these schemes during the past three years and 78,365 new cards were made till November 2023, she claimed, accusing the Sukhu government of vendetta politics.

"The previous BJP government raised loans worth Rs 17,829 crore in five years but the present government has broken all the records by raising Rs 25,000 crore loans in just 16 months, and announced the implementation of Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Dukh Samman Nidhi Yojana to give Rs 1,500 per month to women, without making any budgetary provision in the budget passed a few days back," she claimed. The minister said that the people have to make a choice between ''Jhooth (lie) ki guarantee of Congress and Modi ki Guarantee". Speaking on the increase in import duty on apples, Lekhi said that it has been increased to 50 per cent due to certain limitations of international trade agreements. She claimed the trade agreements were signed when Congress leader Anand Sharma was the Commerce minister in the UPA government.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)