Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Friday presented the first budget of his tenure in the state assembly for the financial year 2023-24. In this, Sukhu has announced that Himachal Pradesh will be made a model state for the adoption of electric vehicles in the state’s public transport.
A total of 1,500 diesel-run buses would be converted at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore, he said. To promote tourism in the state, it was also announced to develop Kangra district as tourism capital and to connect all 12 districts with heliport facility during next one year.
However, the state’s GDP growth has come down to 6.4 per cent during 2022-23 from 7.6 per cent during 2021-22. The state has a huge debt and other liabilities of Rs 75,000 crore due to arrears of revised pay scales and payment of dearness allowance of Rs 11,000 crore. Supplementary Demands for Grants of Rs 13,141 crore for 2022-23 were passed by the House on March 15.
Sukhu said that his government has come to work for the welfare of the people and in this sequence the old pension scheme has been restored. Sukhu said that his government would fulfill all the promises made to the public in a phased manner.
In the first phase, 2,31,000 women will be given Rs 1,500 per month as promised. He also announced a subsidy of Rs 25,000 for the purchase of electric scooties for 20,000 girls studying in government schools in the state.
