Shimla,(IANS) The opposition Congress on Monday slammed the BJP government in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly for what it said was "distributing lollipops" by launching petty schemes and asked it to instead chalk out a road map for the hill state's development.

Initiating the debate on the Budget proposals, Congress Legislature Party leader Mukesh Agnihotri said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government must end its 'honeymoon' period.

Claiming that the Budget presented by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on March 9 lacked direction, he said: "The government has just given lollipops in the name of small schemes."

"You changed the names of some existing schemes just to take credit. The Budget is silent on financial management and resource generation."

"The Chief Minister will run the government by taking loans and is heavily dependent on the Centre for help. The government must mobilise funding from the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre at the earliest as it may not get enough time after July-August since general elections area due in 2019," Agnihotri said.

The Congress leader said there have been many incidents of murders and crime against women in the past two months. "While in the opposition, the BJP was critical of crime during the previous Congress government's term," he said.

Later, the Chief Minister hit back. "During the Congress rule, retired officers were managing the (CM) office. But in my office, there is no retired person."

He said he was surprised the Congress was so critical of his government when it was at the helm for just two months.