New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh announced while presenting his first state budget today for financial year 2023-24 to impose Cow Cess of Rs 10 on  per liquor bottles in expectation to generate the revenue of Rs 100 crore per annum.


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The State government has already been collecting Rs 2 per bottle ‘gau’-cess on sale of liquor, which is kept aside for maintenance and establishment of cow sanctuaries.


Moreover, CM announced to develop the state as a ‘Green Energy State’ by 31 March 2026. For that purpose, a target is to set up Solar Energy Projects of 500 MW in 2023-24.


In order to boost tourism, Sikhu said that Kangra district will be developed as the tourist capital and all 12 districts will be connected with heliport facility in the next one year. The growth of state's GDP has remained sluggish during 2022-23 and dropped to 6.4 per cent as compared to 7.6 per cent growth recorded in 2021-22.


"We have come to work for the welfare of the people and have restored old pension scheme benefiting about 1.36 employees of the state," he said. The state faces huge debt of Rs 75,000 crore and other liabilities on account of payment of arrears of revised pay scales and DA amounting Rs 11,000 crore. The supplementary demands for grants for 2022-23 amounting to Rs 13,141 crore were passed by the house on March 15.


(With Agency Inputs)