Shimla: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government of alleged irregularities in utilisation of funds received from the Centre and demanded a detailed white paper on the same from Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
BJP media in-charge Randhir Sharma, an MLA, told a news conference in Shimla that funds provided for disaster management are being misused and demanded a probe.
He demanded detailed information on aid received under the State Disaster Response Fund(SDRF), State Disaster Mitigation Fund(SDMF), National Disaster Response Fund(NDRF) and Post Disater Needs Assessment(PDNA), including department wise allocation, expenditure in various constituencies, and payments made to contractors.
BJP questions Rs 2,006 crore reconstruction package
He said a reconstruction package of Rs 2,006.40 crore was approved under the PDNA scheme. Of this, the Centre’s share is Rs 1,504.80 crore and Rs 1,053.36 crore was released in July and December 2025.
While the state government has received huge amounts from the Centre, it still accuses the Central Government of ignoring Himachal Pradesh.
Sharma alleged that funds allocated for the repair of roads, bridges and drinking water schemes hit by disaster were being misused. He added that the government is showing bias towards constituencies represented by Congress legislators and ministers, while ignoring areas represented by BJP MLAs.
“Disaster relief funds belong to the people affected by natural calamities and should not become a source of political patronage or financial irregularities,” he said.
He demanded that the government put out a white paper on the total amount received from the Centre, date of disbursal, department wise allocation, expenditure in various constituencies, contractors, work done.
“If they have nothing to hide then they should make all the money spent on disaster management public,” he said.
BJP questions PWD tendering process
He raised concerns over the Public Works Department tendering process and demanded an investigation into the hike in the offline tendering limit from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
He alleged that large-scale projects are being broken into smaller contracts to escape the competitive bidding process. He also demanded an impartial probe into the allegations of money being paid for work not done.
BJP MLA attacks Sukhu over electioneering
The BJP MLA attacked Chief Minister Sukhu’s recent visits to various assembly constituencies and announced crores of rupees.
“If the government cannot provide funds for basic public services, where will the money for these multi-crore announcements come from? The Chief Minister must explain the budgetary provisions behind his promises.” Now, as elections approach, he has suddenly started visiting constituencies and making grand announcements. Last-minute generosity cannot save a government that has lost public confidence, he said.
He questioned the funding behind the announcements and alleged that the state government did not have enough funds to spend on basic facilities like road repairing, replacing old HRTC tyres, PWD machinery and MLA development funds.
“If the government has nothing to hide, it should make every rupee of disaster relief expenditure public.” The Chief Minister must explain the budgetary provisions behind his promises, he said.
While the BJP did not have any objections to the Chief Minister wearing traditional attires, dancing with locals and dining with the people in the constituencies, he alleged that this was being used to distract the people from the government’s failures.
BJP welcomes BBMB development
Sharma welcomed the reported development regarding the long-pending Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) case at the Supreme Court. He added that the BJP supports any steps taken to strengthen the legitimate rights of Himachal Pradesh to receive electricity and monetary benefits, including a 7.19 per cent share.
However, he took issue with the Chief Minister claiming sole credit.
“The BBMB matter has been before the Supreme Court since 1996. Successive governments, irrespective of their political affiliations, have pursued Himachal Pradesh’s legitimate interests. This outcome is the result of collective efforts spanning several decades and cannot be attributed to one Chief Minister or one government,” he said.
He recalled former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar’s contribution and said the BJP government had a key role to play in ensuring that Himachal Pradesh receives 12 per cent free power from Hydro Electric Projects.
“We have always fought for the legitimate share of Himachal Pradesh in natural resources and will continue to do so,” he said.
He also took issue with the Congress government claiming credit for developments made in the Kishau Dam project. “The full implications of the latest Supreme Court verdict needs to be analysed after looking at the entire judgement.”
BJP criticises private redevelopment of Peterhof
He also took issue with the reported decision of the state government to handover the historic Peterhof property in Shimla through a Public Private Partnership (PPP).
He questioned the decision to stop bookings after November 25 and handing the property over to a private operator for redevelopment. “Peterhof is a historically significant public property of Himachal Pradesh. The government must explain why a functioning asset is being considered for private redevelopment,” he said.
He also expressed concerns regarding reports that other Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) hotels and restaurants may also be handed over to private operators.
BJP questions Congress election promises and closure of institutions
He also questioned the implementation of the Congress government’s election promises, including Rs 1,500 per month for women, 300 units free electricity and job promises.
He alleged that over 2,200 institutions set up by the previous BJP government have been shut down or de-notified.
Sharma said the government should answer questions regarding unkept election promises, disaster management funds, development funds and the financial situation of the state.
“We will continue to question these issues and demand an impartial probe into any financial irregularities,” he said.
“Political drama cannot replace governance. Last-minute announcements and generosity cannot erase years of unfulfilled promises. The people of Himachal Pradesh deserve a complete account of the government’s actions,” he said.