Estimate ₹11,00-crore rise in state revenue this fiscal: Sukhu
If the natural disaster had not happened, the state would have recorded a revenue increase of ₹1,500 crore, Sukhu said in a statement issued here
Steps taken by the state government to curb wasteful expenditure would result in an estimated increase of ₹1,100 crore in revenue in the current fiscal, Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday. If the natural disaster had not happened, the state would have recorded a revenue increase of ₹1,500 crore, he said in a statement issued here.
The Centre imposed restrictions on Himachal for implementing the old pension scheme and as a result, the limit for taking loan in this fiscal has been fixed at ₹6,600 crore, it said. Additionally, a limit of taking a total loan of ₹2,900 crore in three years has been set for externally aided projects, whereas earlier there was no such limit for this.
He said the present state government has taken a loan of ₹4,100 crore this fiscal whereas the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government availed of a loan of ₹14,000 crore in 2022-23, the statement said. He reiterated that BJP leaders should also make sincere efforts to get the central government to remove these restrictions imposed on Himachal.
The chief minister said the state government is working to enhance its resources and it will earn a revenue of ₹500 crore from the improved auction of liquor contracts this time. Taking note of the delay in the construction of the Jangi-Thopan-Powari project, the state government has cancelled the project awarded to Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL).
“We are also fighting the legal battle to get back the luxurious WildFlower Hall and have presented the case strongly in the court,” he said, adding that soon the property will be handed over to the state government. Sukhu said the BJP government had become a hub of corruption and many scams took place during its tenure and now, the ₹100 crore mining scam has come to the fore.