BJP Cannot Rewrite Facts : Congress

Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar and PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh today here in a joint press statement strongly rebutted the claims being made by MP Anurag Singh Thakur and other BJP leaders over the Kishau Multipurpose Project, saying that the BJP cannot rewrite the facts, distort the record or claim credit for an outcome secured after sustained efforts and firm negotiations by the present Congress Government led by Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The Ministers said that the Centre’s role in facilitating the final agreement among the six states is acknowledged, but BJP leaders cannot use that fact to erase the specific efforts made by the present state government to protect the financial interests of Himachal Pradesh. Bringing states together for an agreement is one matter, protecting Himachal Pradesh from an unfair financial burden is another. The present state government did not blindly accept the earlier arrangement. It questioned the burden being placed on Himachal Pradesh, repeatedly raised the issue with the Centre and continued negotiations to safeguard the state’s interests.

They said the central issue for Himachal Pradesh was the financial liability attached to its power component. The previous BJP government had agreed to a contribution of around Rs. 800 crore, but the present state government refused to accept such a burden in view of Himachal Pradesh’s limited financial resources and the substantial social and environmental costs associated with the project. As a result of sustained efforts by the present government, the estimated liability of around Rs. 2,000 crore has been shifted to the beneficiary states of Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana.

Prof. Chander Kumar and Vikramaditya Singh said that the BJP leaders should explain why the previous BJP-led government accepted an arrangement involving a financial burden of around Rs. 800 crore on Himachal Pradesh if they now claim that the state’s interests were already fully protected. They cannot defend the earlier arrangement and at the same time claim exclusive credit for the relief achieved after the present government intervened. The people of Himachal Pradesh are fully capable of understanding the difference between an earlier decision and the subsequent efforts that led to its correction.

They further said that Himachal Pradesh is set to receive around 1,000 million units of electricity annually. The agreement is a historic step towards a brighter and more self-reliant Himachal Pradesh, securing an estimated Rs. 1,200-1,500 crore in annual benefits without any additional financial burden. It also reflects the government’s commitment to protecting the state’s rights and long-term economic interests through the Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project.