Principal Media Advisor to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Naresh Chauhan today said the BJP was tarnishing the state’s image nationwide just to stay in the limelight.
Chauhan sharply reacted to the BJP’s allegation that the state government was unable to defend the state interests in the court, whether it was about the Himachal Bhawan issue or the court order on selling loss-making hotels of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) and said it was during previous BJP regime that a proposal was mooted to outsource the HPTDC hotels.
“Surprisingly, the BJP ministers did not even know about this proposal then. The issue of sale or lease out of HPTDC hotels to private parties was objected to in the Vidhan Sabha also,” he said while talking to media persons here.
The Principal Media Advisor criticised the central BJP leadership for exaggerating the issues of Himachal Bhawan and HPTDC properties and igniting them at the national level to belittle the state. “They should rather have taken corrective measures during their tenure previously but they lacked administrative and legal knowledge,” he said.
Referring to the court order on attaching Himachal Bhawan in case of non-payment of upfront premium to a hydro company, he said the company had agreed to set up a hydropower project on Chandra-Bhaga River and agreed to pay Rs 20 lakh per MW in a competitive bid.
It paid a premium of Rs 64 crore. However, the company was unable to execute the project. arbitration agreement to start the project. It then claimed the upfront premium.
He said in a similar case of Jangi-Thopan & Thopan- Powari Hydro electric projects (960 MW) in Kinnaur, M/s Adani Power Limited moved the court to claim an upfront premium of Rs 280 crore, wherein the impugned judgement of the single bench was set aside by the double bench and affirmed the forfeiture of the upfront premium.
“The government is considering all the aspects and will take a legal route,” said Naresh Chauhan.
It was the present government that, after assuming power, brought about a change in the Energy Policy and decided to restore the royalty, he asserted.
“Regarding HPTDC hotels, a Committee headed by an IAS officer has been formed, which will table its suggestions soon,” he said.
He said that people should know the truth and the truth was that Jai Ram Thakur’s government almost sold out the HPTDC properties, had it not been opposed in Vidhan Sabha.
The Principal; Media Advisor asked why the BJP was tight-lipped on the Sukh-Aashray Yojna, where 6000 children have been adopted as the 'Children of the State'.
“Why BJP is mum on Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Yojna, Rajiv Gandhi Start-up Scheme, on the decision to start English medium in first class in all the government schools and many other welfare schemes,” he questioned.
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