Shimla, Sep 17 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Thursday said that the Congress government had firmly worked to protect the interests of the state in the Kishau multipurpose dam agreement, resulting in benefits of around Rs 1,500 crore without any investment.
Addressing a public meeting at Rail in Nadaun in Hamirpur district, the Chief Minister said BJP leaders Anurag Singh Thakur and Jai Ram Thakur should seek clarity from Uttarakhand regarding its concerns over the project. He said he had the opportunity to understand the concerns of the Uttarakhand Chief Minister.
He said the state government had ensured that the state’s interests remained protected; otherwise, the people of Himachal Pradesh could also have faced an economic burden similar to that being faced by Uttarakhand. He said under the Kishau project the state would receive benefits of around Rs 1,500 crore without any additional investment, while Uttarakhand would have to invest around Rs 3,000 crore to generate a similar amount.
Sukhu said the cost of the project, which was estimated at around Rs 800 crore five years ago, had now increased to between Rs 3,000 crore and Rs 5,000 crore. He added that a larger area of land in Uttarakhand was also being affected by the project.
CM Sukhu said after the Congress government came to power in the state, three important meetings were held regarding the Kishau project, and the government ensured that the interests of Himachal Pradesh remained protected.
He said the trust and confidence of the people of the state remained with him, and it was with their strength that he strongly presented the state’s case. Uttarakhand also wanted an agreement similar to that of Himachal Pradesh, but this could not happen there.
He said the government was firmly pursuing the rights of Himachal Pradesh and expressed hope that the BBMB arrears would also be received by the state soon.
The Chief Minister said the previous BJP government had caused damage to the state’s resources, while the present Congress government had fought against corruption. He said the Wildflower Hall case, which had been pending in court for the past 23 years, was won by the state government in the Supreme Court.
He said this had brought Rs 401 crore into the state exchequer and was generating additional income of around Rs 2 crore per month. “As long as I am the Chief Minister, I will continue to fight for the people. We will not bow down to any temptation.”
The Chief Minister said the state government had strongly pursued cases related to the interests of Himachal Pradesh in courts.
CM Sukhu said the matter regarding an additional six per cent royalty from JSW had been pending since the previous BJP government. After the Congress government came to power, the High Court decision in the matter was challenged in the Supreme Court and the state government won the case. He said this had resulted in additional annual revenue of around Rs 150 crore for the state.
–IANS
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