Shanta Kumar pats Sukhu government to impose water cess on power project

BJP stalwart and Former Himachal Pradesh Chief minister Shanta Kumar again rattled party leader in the state by showering  word of praise for three months old Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government of this hill state led by Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for levin water cess on Hydropower generation. The bill to impose  water cess was passed unanimously in the state assembly having farsighted provision to push up the revenue of the state tunes to Rs.  4000 crore moreover it would immune to burden  the consumers.  Veteran BJP leader and former Union Minister Shanta Kumar who has been criticized Narendra Modi government on several occasions in the past took Social media to hails the Congress government in Himachal to brings power projects being set up in the state under the ambit of water Cess on the line of BJP rule states. BJP state unit have taken another course by criticizing the move alleging it would ultimately impact the common man. However Shanta Kumar  said the state would get an annual income of Rs 4k Cr. from it and there would be no burden on consumers.  Shanta Kumar said, “While being the Chief Minister of this hill state, I had made the decision to take 12 pc free electricity as royalty in hydropower projects built in Himachal. He also lauded Congress government for ordering doctors in state-run institutions to prescribe only generic medicines to patients.  Former Chief minister said, “The health minister has announced that every doctor in Himachal Pradesh would prescribe only generic medicines. As the chairman of the standing committee in the Lok Sabha, I had done a deep study on this subject for the committee had suggested to the government that India’s generic medicine is low priced, of good quality, but the common man do not get it because doctors prescribe only branded medicines due to higher commission,” he added. “I am happy but also skeptical as Many states have made such announcements in the past but never implemented them. If Himachal implements the decision, it will be a great service  of the Sukhu rule and it is only then that I will congratulate them,” BJP stalwart mentioned. However he criticized the government for closing down the offices and institutions opened by the previous government and said it was done in a haste.” These institutions were opened in a hurry without planning by the previous government and the new government showed similar hurry in closing them down,” he argued. Mr Kumar, who is known for speaking spade a spade said that It was appropriate to close a school where there were no children, but it was illogical to shut the school where students had enrolled and teachers had joined or a hospital where a doctor had been posted and common public was getting services.