SHIMLA,21 April, 2025-Principal Media Advisor to the Chief Minister, Naresh Chauhan, today informed that the state government was expediting the construction of the Medical Device Park at Nalagarh in Solan district. He strongly refuted the serious allegations of corruption levelled by Union Health Minister and BJP National President, Jagat Prakash Nadda, terming the accusations, particularly those related to the alleged shutdown of the Medical Device Park, as baseless and beyond facts.

He said that Sh. Nadda has held prominent positions in the BJP and the Central Government for the past decade. While this is a matter of pride given that very few individuals from small hilly regions attain such stature. It is nonetheless disappointing that, to date, there was no major project or initiative that can be credited to him.

Naresh Chauhan said that Sh. Nadda, being a national-level leader of significant standing, should refrain from indulging in petty politics aimed at degrading the Congress and misleading the public on issues like the Medical Device Park, especially without proper facts or understanding. He appealed to Sh. Nadda to maintain the dignity of his political stature and to use his influence to genuinely help the state on key matters of public interest including the stalled BBND project funds, the rightful share the state in hydropower projects, resolution of pending audit objections and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

Responding to the allegations and the claim of scrapping the Medical Device Park, Naresh Chauhan challenged the Centre to name even a single corrupt official in the state government instead of making the baseless allegations of corruption. He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the government has been functioning with complete transparency for the past two and a half years.

He said that the Congress government has never compromised with the interests of the state. Unlike the previous BJP government, which acted out of personal interests in several projects including the Medical Device Park, the present state government prioritized the protection of public resources. In this regard, the state government has returned Rs. 25 crore to the Centre, along with interest and has now resolved to complete the Rs. 300 crore project entirely, itself through state funding.

Sh. Chauhan said that although the Centre had offered financial assistance of Rs.100 crore, it came with several conditions that would have adversely affected the resources of the state. For instance, if the state government accepts the terms, it would have been obliged to provide industrial land to entrepreneurs at a nominal rate of one rupee per square meter effectively transferring 300 acres for just Rs. 12 lakh, while the actual market value of the land was nearly Rs. 500 crore.

Moreover, the conditions of the Centre included supplying electricity at three rupees per unit, whereas the state government purchases power at seven rupees per unit. Additional terms included free provision of water, maintenance and warehousing facilities for ten years. All of which would have resulted in huge financial loss to the state. Apart from this the state would not have benefited from GST revenue, since GST accrues to the state where the product was sold. The Centre had also proposed a 70 percent exemption on State GST for ten years yet another provision that would have severely impacted the state’s financial interests.

He said that the State Government was presently undertaking works worth Rs. 130 crore for the Medical Device Park. The water supply infrastructure was in its final stages, while electrification was progressing steadily. Site development, road construction and other infrastructure works were also being carried out at a rapid pace. He stated that the State Government was committed to provide world-class facilities in the park and attracting investors. Unlike the BJP, our government would not compromise on the interests of the state.

The 300-acre land would be allocated at market rates and every decision would be taken keeping in mind the interests of the state and its people as the top priority. Naresh Chauhan said that these conditions were clearly not in the interest of the people of the State and the decision to return central funds and proceed independently.

He said that the funds collected from taxes across the country are first pooled by the Centre and subsequently distributed to individual states as their rightful share. In the financial year 2024-25, Himachal Pradesh received Rs. 10,600 crore as tax devolution. The state also received revenue deficit grants and two installments of disaster preparedness funds from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

He said that these were not special favors but legitimate entitlements of Himachal Pradesh. Yet, Jagat Prakash Nadda presented them as if the Central Government had extended extraordinary assistance to the state. As a Union Minister, Sh. Nadda should focus on launching more and more development projects in Himachal Pradesh and taking measures to strengthen the economy.