Virbhadra should resign on moral grounds: JP Nadda

Shimla: Senior BJP leader and Union Minister JP Nadda Monday said Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh should resign on moral grounds since the cases registered against him by the CBI and ED are "blatant".

"Investigations are being conducted by the independent agencies and the verdict of the court would be final. But, keeping in view the nature of the cases, the Chief Minister should tender his resignation even before such exigency arises," he said here.

Parrying questions regarding his "return" to state politics, he said, "I have been given certain responsibilities. I am discharging those and will continue to do so."

On Congress claiming Virbhadra Singh will become the chief minister for the seventh time, he said, "BJP is fully geared to defeat Congress under any circumstances and who will lead the party in the next polls is of little consequence."

Expressing concern over delay in implementing projects sanctioned by the Centre, he said, "The state government should complete modalities and pre-conditions, and roll out the projects at the earliest."

"The Surface Transport Ministry has sanctioned 61 National Highways. But till now not a single Detailed Project Report has been sent by the state, an essential pre-requisite to have funds released," Nadda claimed.

"Similarly, health projects are pending execution due to non-availability of land, delay in selection of sites, forest clearance and other factors. The state government has failed to match the speed with which the centre is pushing the projects," the Union Health Minister alleged.

Projects worth Rs 1,000 crore are in the pipeline but the state government is slow in implementing those, he claimed.

"New medical colleges, super-speciality centres at IGMC Shimla and Government Medical College at Tanda, Cancer Centre at Shimla, Tertiary Cancer Centre at Mandi, trauma centres, mother and child care centres and several other sanctioned projects are hanging in fire," Nadda claimed.

"The Centre is in talks with MCI for expansion of post-graduate (PG) courses in medical sciences and plans to add 15,000 PG seats," he said.

The Centre will launch a health insurance scheme for eight crore poor families from April 1 next year to provide health cover of Rs 1 lakh to the head of the family and additional Rs 30,000 for each family member without any cap, he said.