NEW DELHI: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday addressed reports about the Himachal Pradesh high court‘s order to attach Himachal Bhawan in Delhi, indicating he is yet to review the order.
This response followed the Himachal Pradesh high court’s Monday ruling to attach the Himachal Bhavan at Delhi’s Mandi House, following the Congress-led government’s failure to settle outstanding electricity bills.
“I haven’t read the High Court order yet, but the upfront premium is rooted in a policy from 2006.For which I was the primary architect. When we established the energy policy, we set a reserve price per megawatt, which companies bid on. A decision was made through arbitration regarding this premium, and our government challenged this arbitration order in the High Court. Consequently, we had to deposit Rs 64 crore in arbitration. I have gathered information on this and will carefully study the order,” the Himachal chief minister told reporters.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the Sukhu government and Congress, linking the court’s verdict to their alleged poor financial administration and inattention to pending electricity payments.
Former chief minister and opposition leader Jairam Thakur said, “We’re facing a period of financial crisis. The High Court’s decision on January 13 2023 directed the state to pay Rs 64 crore for the Seli Hydroelectric Plant premium. Yet, the current government doesn’t appear to take this seriously.”
Expressing worry about increasing legal challenges and alleged governmental mishandling, Thakur said, “The situation is dire. This attachment order on Himachal Bhawan is unprecedented in our state. If this financial mismanagement continues, we may face a scenario where even our state secretariat could be at risk. Himachal Pradesh has been enduring a prolonged financial crisis, and now there’s a fear that our assets could be auctioned off.”