Is Congress Failing to Utilize Bhawani Pathania’s Financial Expertise?
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Shimla: In December 2021, when Congress was protesting in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly against the then Chief Minister Jairam Thakur for allegedly putting Himachal “on sale,” Congress MLA Bhawani Pathania emerged as a standout figure. He captivated the media’s attention by presenting detailed statistics highlighting the government’s lapses, showcasing his adeptness with financial issues.
At that time, the Congress was protesting the handover of several key tourism projects funded by ADB (Asian Development Bank) to private players, including the tourist center at Janjehli, a ₹41.57 crore convention center in Mandi, a ₹47.19 crore center for traditional arts in Badagram, Manali, and a ₹37.60 crore convention center at Kiarighat, Solan on the Shimla-Parwanoo National Highway.
Despite his proven capabilities, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu’s administration has not effectively utilized Pathania’s potential. His appointment to the planning board came late, and subsequent political mismanagement by Congress led to by-elections, wasting valuable time and resources.
Pathania now holds a cabinet rank as the deputy chairman of the state planning board, yet his contributions towards resource mobilization for debt-ridden Himachal Pradesh have not been made public. This lack of visibility might be due to the inattentiveness of key figures in the government.
With the state facing a debt burden approaching one lakh crore and limited support from the center, as alleged by Congress leaders, there is an urgent need for the Chief Minister’s office to deploy experts in their areas of expertise. This strategic deployment is essential to mitigate the state’s financial crisis.
Government funds are reportedly being diverted towards the constituencies of powerful politicians, further exacerbating the financial burden and leading to the misuse of public resources.
Pathania’s Take on Centre’s Budget
“The budget appears to have been created under duress. The government is being blackmailed by entities with vested interests. Himachal and the interests of its people have been completely ignored. The seven MPs have collectively failed the people of Himachal.”
Profile of Bhawani Pathania:
Bhawani Singh Pathania (50), is the son of former minsiter senior Congress leader late Sujan Singh Pathania. He has studied at Shimla and Delhi University. He holds a postgraduate diploma in business management.
Pathania began his corporate career in 1998. Over his 23-year corporate career, he held top positions in companies like PNB MetLife, ICICI Bank, and ICICI Prudential. Pathania is a seasoned financial expert with deep expertise in business strategy, distribution management, and project management in the banking, financial services, and insurance sectors. He has a profound understanding of economic matters and financial affairs at both macro and micro levels.
In 2021, Pathania left his lucrative corporate career to contest the by-election from Fatehpur constituency and was elected to the Vidhan Sabha for the first time. He subsequently won the seat again in the 2022 general elections and has been appointed as Deputy Chairman, Planning, with a cabinet rank.
He has extensively traveled throughout India and to approximately 35 different countries across the globe.
