Himachal Pradesh Transport Minister G S Bali said today that it had given big gift to the jobless after declaring announcement of the unemployment allowance in the Budget speech of Chief Minister Virbhadr Singh on March 10. Participating in the Budget discussion in the Assembly today Mr Bali who had remained most dissented on the issue against his own Government said that unemployment allowance would be implemented soon as it would soon start taking applications from the eligible youth.
Responding to Prem Kumar Dhumal doubt on the scheme about lack of financial provisions for the scheme Mr. Bali said that provisioning of 150 crore has been made in the budget and Government is capable to disburse it smoothly. The budget to be the best ever by the Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. Hailing the budget on Tuesday, Bali said that the budget had taken care of each and every segment of the society and the announcement of unemployment allowance was a big gift for the jobless youth.
Praising Chief Minister for his 4.15 hour long uninterrupted budget speech, he said that CM had done commendable job by raising MLA fund from 1 crore to 1.10 crore. Counting the achievements of his Transport department, Mr. Bali said that the Himachal Road Transport Corporation had almost doubled its bus fleet in the last 4 years. He claimed that the HRTC had the youngest bus fleet in the country at present.
Expressing gratitude to Union Minister Venkaiyah Nayadu and Nitin Gadkari, for approving roads and transport projects for the state, also took centre on his target, saying that the Hydrology Engineering College had been hanging in balance due to non-clearance from the central government.
Later, terming it to be a vision-less budget, former Minister Dr Rajeev Bindal said that the Chief Minister himself had made it clear in the budget that the 75 per cent f the government revenues would go in paying salaries, pensions, interests on debt etc. He said that while the government had been claiming of starting new institution, most of the institutions, whether health or education had been facing severe shortage of staff and were rendered futile.
Flaying announcement of unemployment allowance, Mr. Bindal said if the government was willing to help jobless youth, then it should implement the decision from the date, when it had made announcement in Congress manifesto. He said that if government was serious about helping the jobless, then it should arrange 8200 crore for paying unemployment allowance to all jobless youngsters, otherwise BJP would go door to door and tell people of the truth behind the government claims.
Lashing out the government to not provide the vacant posts of doctors Mr. Bindal said that people have to carried out a pregnant woman over their shoulders after covering 12 kilometer on foot. He said that no Surgeon or doctors are deputed at Community Health Centre Shilai area and people were forced to carried patients to Zonal Hospital Solan from far flung areas of Sirmaur.
