Mandi: The political leaders in Himachal Pradesh have come down heavily on finance minister Mr. P. Chidambaram for not sanctioning an IIT for the state, as promised earlier.

The leaders from both the political parties - BJP and Congress - have said that P. Chidambaram himself had announced an IIT and a central university for Himachal when he launched the Aam Adami Bima Yojna at Shimla in 2007. But in his Budget speech, the FM though announced IITs for Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan but ignored Himachal Pradesh.

According to former IPH minister Kaul Singh Thakur - "Chidambaram should have fulfilled his commitment. However, he went on to add that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had decided to open an IIT at Mandi."

PWD and revenue minister Gulab Singh Thakur claimed the union budget 2008 as vote bank budget. "It shows the Congress-supported UPA government at the Centre says something, but does something else," he added.

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