Jairam Seeks Clarity from Sukhu Govt on Unspent Central Funds and lapsed Budget

Mandi, April 5: Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition, Jairam Thakur, launched a scathing attack on the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government, accusing it of failing to utilize central funds and withholding utilisation certificates (UCs) worth thousands of crores. He said that while the state government regularly blames the Centre for not providing aid, the truth is that even the funds released by the Centre remain unutilised due to the state’s inefficiency.

Thakur cited reports revealing that key departments like PWD and Jal Shakti failed to spend over ₹300 crore in the last financial year, leading to the funds lapsing. He also highlighted that under the nutrition scheme, ₹11 crore out of ₹33 crore lapsed, demonstrating administrative failure. As per CAG data, UCs for ₹2795.23 crore remain unsubmitted for funds spent by local bodies and authorities under the current regime.

He further added that during the 2023 disaster, out of ₹1239 crore spent, ₹1190.85 crore was contributed by the Centre, while the state spent only ₹48 crore. The Centre has also allotted over ₹400 crore in the new financial year for roads and bridges and sanctioned 92,200 rural housing units for Himachal in 2025.

During his visit to the Seraj constituency, Jairam Thakur welcomed several Congress-supporting families into the BJP, thanking them for their trust in the party. On the occasion of BJP’s Foundation Day, he extended his greetings to the people of Himachal, expressing pride in being part of the world’s largest democracy.