Solan (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 4 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that despite the financial crunch, the Congress government will deliver the benefits of the old pension scheme to 1.36 lakh currently employed government workers.
Addressing an election rally in Nalagarh of Solan district on Saturday, he said that in the very first cabinet meeting after the formation of the Congress government in the state, he fulfilled his election promise and secured the future of lakhs of government employees by restoring the old pension scheme.
"Today more than 4 thousand employees are taking benefit of the old pension scheme. The Chief Minister said that Rs 9000 crore of NPS is still stuck with the Central Government, a fight is being fought to get it back," said the CM.
He mentioned that the state government has also given a four per cent dearness allowance to the government employees.
Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that when the BJP was not successful in forming the government with the public votes, an attempt was made to capture it on the basis of money, but the plans of the BJP could not be fulfilled.
He said that the Congress government is completely stable and will definitely complete its five-year term. Jairam Thakur's dreams of Munger Lal becoming the Chief Minister will never be fulfilled.
Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that those who fill their houses by digging rivers and ravines can never be servants of the public. He said that BJP MP Suresh Kashyap did not contribute anything to the development of the area.
"When the disaster struck, Kashyap did not even write a letter to any Union Minister to provide financial help to Himachal Pradesh. no BJP MP went to the Union Ministers to ask for financial help from the Central Government. The state government changed the law for 22 thousand families affected by the disaster and gave a package of Rs 4000 crore from its own resources."
He said that now BJP candidates are asking for votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi instead of their work.
"The state government has given a big relief to 1.60 lakh truck operators by waiving off the penalty and interest on passenger and goods tax," he added.
He said that these goods carrier operators had to suffer losses during the Corona period, in view of which the state government adopted a humanitarian approach.
The CM emphasised that he had reached the position of Chief Minister from an ordinary family and started his political career from the eleventh class.
He lauded himself saying that in his 40 years of political career, he never compromised on his principles. That is why after becoming the Chief Minister, the only objective is to serve the public. He said that the state government has earned an additional income of Rs 850 crore from the auction of liquor vends.
Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that keeping in mind the problems of the common people, the state government made changes in the revenue laws and organised Revenue Lok Adalats across the state.
He said that more than one lakh Itkaal and more than seven and a half thousand Takseem cases have been settled in these Revenue Lok Adalats.
On this occasion, Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Congress Party's Lok Sabha candidate Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri, Congress leader Baba Hardeep Singh, District Congress President Shiv Kumar Sharma and party officials were present.