Centre did not give single rupee for disaster-hit Himachal: Priyanka Vadra

Una (Himachal Pradesh) : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said on Tuesday that the Himachal Pradesh government rehabilitated 22,000 affected families from its own funds while the Central government did not allocate any amount for the disaster relief in the hill state last year.

"Despite the economic crisis, the state government has given OPS (Old Pension Scheme) to 1.36 lakh employees, and daughters and women aged above 18 years are being given a monthly pension of Rs 1,500," she said at a public meeting here to seek votes in favour of former Legislator Satpal Raizada, who is in fray from the Hamirpur Parliamentary seat.

"Himachal is the first state to give MSP (minimum support price) on milk," she added.

Taking a jibe at the Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency MP and BJP leader Anurag Thakur, Priyanaka said: "He's not visible to the public".

"Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi used to go from door-to-door to understand problems of the people, people used to scold her also, but she never felt bad. Today the government is spending Rs 100 crore in buying Congress MLAs. There is no trace of democracy in the country," she added.

"The Congress will win all four Lok Sabha seats and bypoll in six Assembly seats and this would send a message across the country that the people of Devbhoomi do not tolerate money power politics," Priyanka said.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the Gandhi family has deep ties with Himachal Pradesh.

"Indira Gandhi made Himachal a separate state. Sonia Gandhi left the Prime Minister's post for the unity and integrity of the country. Nowadays no one leaves the post even of a village head. The BJP is spreading lies and propaganda," he added.

Himachal Pradesh will go to the polls on June 1.