Congress government pushed Himachal to over Rs 40 crore debt, says Jai Ram Thakur

SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur accused the previous state government of pushing the state into a Rs 46,500 crore debt. Addressing a public meeting in Bilaspur on Tuesday, he said the Congress ruled the state for decades but did very little in the name of development, except for taking loans and precipitating financial mismanagement.
Thakur assured that the state government would spend the money received from the state government for development of the state and welfare of people. He said he met Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and they assured a bailout package and all possible assistance to pay the debt. The CM said the biggest challenge he faces is to get the state out of the financial mess and said officers have been asked to draft proposals on ways to pay the debt. On the party's election victory, he said a few independents wished to join the party but residents of the hill state gave absolute majority to BJP.

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Union leaders for working in tandem to ensure BJP's victory, he also praised the efforts of former chief ministers Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal.

He said the government would not follow the revengeful attitude of the previous government.