Congress pushes Himachal into ‘no return zone’ with Rs 45,000 cr debt: BJP

Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party President Dr. Rajeev Bindal launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, stating that under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the state has been pushed into a situation from which recovery appears extremely difficult.

He said development has come to a complete standstill, while the burden of debt, taxes, and inflation continues to weigh heavily on the common people. Dr. Bindal pointed out that in just three years, the Congress government has taken loans amounting to nearly Rs 45,000 crore, directly burdening the public exchequer.
Even after reaching the borrowing limit, the government sought extensions for additional loans, reflecting financial mismanagement and near bankruptcy. Despite this massive borrowing, neither new development projects are being initiated nor are pending ones being completed.

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He highlighted the woes of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC), noting that fares have increased manifold, hundreds of bus routes have already been shut down, and around 500 more routes are on the verge of closure. Travel concessions for women have been withdrawn, forcing rural and poor citizens to rely on private transport and bear additional expenses.

Dr. Bindal alleged steep hikes in electricity, water, cement, and essential commodities. The promise of 300 units of free electricity proved to be a hollow assurance, as power tariffs were increased by up to 46%. Households that once received zero electricity bills are now paying bills running into thousands of rupees.
Targeting the health sector, Dr. Bindal said schemes like Ayushman Bharat and Himcare have been virtually shut down. Hospitals are facing medicine shortages, Doctors and paramedical staff are unavailable, and patients are forced to wander for treatment—clear evidence of an overall administrative collapse.

He stated that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government has extended more than ₹6,000 crore to Himachal Pradesh for roads, drinking water, four-lane highways, tunnels, railways, housing, free ration, and disaster relief. Yet disaster-affected families remain homeless. Relief distribution is marred by favoritism and arbitrary allocation. Dr. Bindal thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP National President Jagat Prakash Nadda for the recently released ₹601 crore, demanding that the amount reach beneficiaries immediately and transparently.
Responding to Congress’s announcement of protests in rural areas, Dr. Bindal said the Centre has introduced a new rural employment scheme superior to MGNREGA, guaranteeing 125 days of mandatory employment. Calling it merely a name change is misleading. He accused Congress of an anti-Ram and anti-Sanatan mindset, saying the party opposes the “Ji Ram Ji” scheme simply because it bears Lord Ram’s name. Ram, he said, is eternal and inseparable from Indian life and culture.
Dr. Bindal said that Himachal Pradesh today is grappling with inflation, unemployment, disorder, and chaos due solely to the Congress government, and the people will respond decisively in the times ahead. Dr. Rajeev Bindal participated in an organisational meeting with office-bearers and workers of the Nachan Mandal under BJP’s organisational district Sundernagar. The meeting involved in-depth deliberations on various organisational issues, with a focus on expansion and strengthening of the party.
During the meeting, all office-bearers and workers expressed their gratitude to the Narendra Modi-led Central Government for releasing Rs 601 crore as disaster relief for Himachal Pradesh. Dr. Bindal said the Centre has stood shoulder to shoulder with Himachal in every hour of crisis.