IBEX NEWS,Shimla.
BJP State vice president and former state minister Dr Rajeev Saizal said that Congress government is muted over several issue of mismanagement and corruption. He said that the Congress government is under scrutiny for constructing a boundary wall worth Rs 8.75 crore for the a company in baddi, using funds from the centrally sponsored PM Gati Shakti scheme. The government should answer were the Central funds diverted? The PM Gati Shakti scheme, designed to enhance seamless connectivity and infrastructure, is being controversially used to construct a 2-km boundary wall around Indo Farm Equipment Ltd. plot along Ratta river in the Baddi industrial area.The Industries Department is executing the project through Himachal Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (HPSIDC). He said that A sum of Rs 14 crore was sanctioned for the project, with Rs 8.75 crore allocated to erect the wall along the riverbank. The first installment of Rs 3 crore has already been disbursed. Land allotment to the said company in January 2022, was granted a customised package for establishing an auto park in Baddi, with the promise of generating 300 jobs. Nearly three years later, the land allegedly remains unused, with no industrial activity initiated.
Dr Rajeev questioned “Funds under PM Gati Shakti are meant for public infrastructure development. Using them to benefit a single private firm is a misuse. Meanwhile, the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority was given a mere Rs 2 lakh for broader development needs.” He also accused the Congress government of double standards, stating: “The Congress blames the BJP for corruption inside the Assembly but engages in questionable practices outside it. This is a glaring example of hypocrisy.” Violations and alleged favouritism The allotment terms required the company to begin production within 24-30 months and invest Rs 150 crore of the proposed Rs 500 crore within the same period. These conditions remained unmet, yet the government had not taken action to reclaim the land.
He said Rs 42 crore granted under the PM Gati Shakti scheme, Rs 35 crore was allocated for creating an IT park in Palampur, while Rs 7 crore was meant for infrastructure development in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt.