Dharamshala, Sept. 22 -- Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and former union Minister Shanta Kumar on Tuesday criticised the state government for spending an estimated Rs 40-50 crore on a new Chief Minister's Office, saying such expenditure was unjustified amid the state's severe financial crisis.
Shanta Kumar said the existing Chief Minister's Office had been used by successive Chief Ministers since Dr Y.S. Parmar and had undergone periodic repairs and renovation. However, the present government headed by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had chosen to construct a new office instead, he alleged.
He said the "wasteful expenditure" was taking place at a time when Himachal Pradesh was facing its highest debt burden and had reached a...