Jairam Thakur: Himachal Thrives on Central Aid, But Congress Criticizes PM

Shimla, April 1: Leader of Opposition and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur has accused the state government of unfairly criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite continuous financial and infrastructural support from the Centre. He stated that every major development project in Himachal Pradesh is funded and sponsored by the Central Government, yet Congress leaders spend their time blaming the Prime Minister instead of acknowledging this assistance.

Thakur highlighted that in the last two days alone, the Centre approved ₹140 crore under Phase 3 of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for Himachal Pradesh. This funding will support the construction and repair of 21 bridges. Additionally, ₹37 crore has been sanctioned for the four-lane bridge at Jhaleda–Ghaluwal in Una, and ₹42 crore has been allocated for an irrigation project in the same region. Despite these contributions, local leaders are quick to claim credit while failing to express gratitude towards the Prime Minister for his continuous support to the state.

According to Thakur, the Central Government has provided over ₹24,000 crore in aid to Himachal Pradesh in the last two years. This includes ₹824 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Yojana, ₹1,920 crore under MGNREGA, and nearly ₹2,750 crore for railway projects in the current financial year. The state has also received ₹2,700 crore and ₹3,000 crore earlier under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Additionally, financial assistance from institutions like NABARD, ADB, and the World Bank has been facilitated through central support.

The Centre has also granted Himachal Pradesh ₹3,000 crore as a 50-year interest-free loan for infrastructure development. During disaster relief efforts, the Modi government provided over 10,000 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, with 92,300 additional houses allocated last year.

Thakur pointed out that in the Union Budget, Himachal Pradesh received nearly ₹11,800 crore in allocations. He also compared the tax share and grant-in-aid received by the state under UPA and NDA governments, claiming that the NDA’s contribution is significantly higher—four times in tax shares and three times in grants. He urged the state government to stop misleading the public and recognize the Centre’s indispensable role in Himachal’s development.