New Delhi: The Himachal Pradesh High Court’s order to attach Himachal Bhavan in Delhi due to unpaid electricity dues of approximately Rs 150 crore has plunged the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government into a political crisis. The decision, which allows for the potential auction of the state’s Delhi office, has sparked a fierce war of words between the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The court’s action follows the government’s failure to comply with previous orders to repay Rs 64 crore, a debt that has ballooned to nearly Rs 150 crore due to accumulated interest. The High Court has also ordered a fact-finding inquiry to identify officials responsible for the negligence leading to this significant financial default. The BJP has seized upon this development, launching scathing attacks on the Congress government.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari directly linked the situation to what he termed the “khatakhat” (clattering) economics of Rahul Gandhi, alleging mismanagement and financial recklessness within the state government. This assertion has fueled the political firestorm surrounding the issue, framing the financial mismanagement as a consequence of broader national-level policies of the Congress party.
“Due to the ‘khatakhat’ politics and economics of Rahul Gandhi, the High Court has directed that Himachal Bhawan be auctioned because the state government of Himachal Pradesh has not been able to pay the due amount of power companies. This proves that there is only a mess within the ‘khatakhat’ economy of Rahul Gandhi,” Bhandari said.
The controversy extends beyond the immediate financial implications. Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur accused the Sukhu government of destroying Himachal Pradesh, citing the negative impact on investments, particularly in the hydropower sector. He alleged that the government’s actions are driving away investors and jeopardising existing projects, thus undermining the state’s economic development. BJP National Spokesperson C.R. Kesavan echoed these sentiments, attributing the financial woes to what he called Rahul Gandhi’s “unsound, unsafe, and weird economic ideas.”
“The present government has completely destroyed Himachal Pradesh and the way the investment that was going to come in the hydro sector in the name of the new policy and the people who were working in the project, all of them are unhappy with the Himachal Pradesh government and are leaving,” Thakur.
However, the state government, through Advocate General Anup Kumar Rattan, presented a different narrative. Rattan clarified that the High Court’s order is related to the Seli Hydropower case, a dispute concerning a Rs 64 crore premium paid in 2011 for a project that never received necessary clearances. The state government argued the premium was non-refundable and challenged the company’s claim for a refund.
The court’s decision to potentially auction Himachal Bhavan stems from the state’s failure to deposit the contested funds in the appellate court. Rattan highlighted the significant losses suffered by the state, estimated at Rs 700 crore in upfront investment and Rs 200 crore annually due to the project’s failure, emphasising that the government is appealing the decision.
