Uprooting drug mafia is priority: Himachal CM Sukhu

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said here today that his government would have zero tolerance to corruption. It would be his first priority to eliminate drug and mining mafia, he added.

Sukhu, while talking to The Tribune, said that his government would implement all commitments made to people before the last Assembly elections, including 10 guarantees, in a phased manner. He added, “The government has initiated steps for the payment of Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women in the state. A policy to this effect has been finalised and soon money will be credited to their bank accounts.”

He expressed concern over the poor financial health of the state. He said that he inherited a debit of Rs 75,000 crore when he took over as Chief Minister. Besides, the previous BJP government had also left unpaid liabilities of over Rs 10,000 crore. He added that his government had started resources mobilisation and austerity measures in the state.

Sukhu said that he would take up the issue of financial crunch with the Central Government. He added that earlier the state used to earn over Rs 5,000 crore from forests but because of the ban on tree felling imposed in the eighties, it had been deprived of this revenue. The state was spending over Rs 2,000 crore for the protection and upkeep of forest wealth.

He said that the state government was contributing a lot to saving national environment by protecting its forests, spending money on energy plantations and also protecting water resources, including major rivers such as the Beas, Sutlej and the Yamuna, which play a major role in boosting agricultural production of the country. The Central Government should adequately reward the state for these efforts.

Sukhu said that the Central Government should compensate the state to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore every year in the form of additional grants. He added that he would also take up with the Railway Minister the issue related to strengthening of the railway network in the state. He added that the conversion of the Pathankot-Jogindernagar railway line into a broad gauge and further linking it to the Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Leh railway line via Mandi would be his priority.

He thanked Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, for sanctioning six four-lane projects for the state, which would be completed by 2025.