‘Himachal Pradesh is in Rs 70,000 crore debt': Congress attacks BJP ahead of Assembly polls

Pratibha Singh claimed that if voted to power in the upcoming assembly polls, Congress would restore the old pension scheme for the state government employees

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Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Congress President Pratibha Singh on Thursday, October 27, 2022, lashed out at the ruling BJP government for leading the state to bankruptcy in the last five years and claimed that the debt burden has reached Rs 70,000 crores. She accused the government of misusing its powers and alleged that unemployment has also increased, crossing the 10 lakh mark. 

Pratibha Singh also compared Congress and BJP and remarked that the state has always been developed in a balanced manner by Congress, whereas the BJP has made a major shift. She asserted that the BJP has only inaugurated schemes that were started during the previous Congress government led by the then-chief minister and her late husband, Virbhadra Singh.

Singh, however, claimed that if voted to power in the upcoming assembly polls, Congress would restore the old pension scheme for the state government employees. 

"Himachal Pradesh is facing a debt burden of Rs 70,000 crore and the data of unemployed youth in the state has crossed the 10 lakh mark under the BJP rule," Singh said while addressing a rally in Shimla district's Rampur for the November 12 elections.

The Congress leader reiterated her party's poll promises of restoring the old pension scheme for state government employees, providing Rs 1,500 per month to every woman and free 300 units of electricity to domestic consumers.

The Election Commission of India on October 14, 2022, announced the schedule for assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh. The voting for all 68 seats will take place on November 12 in a single phase. The counting will be done on December 8, according to the schedule released by the Election Commission of India. 

(With agency inputs)