BJP disrupting Assembly instead of raising public issues: HP Minister

HP PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh slammed the BJP for disrupting the Assembly. He stated the opposition was staging walkouts instead of raising public issues and defended the Congress govt's record on employment and road development.

BJP disrupting Assembly, behaving irresponsibly: Singh

Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Tuesday accused the BJP of behaving irresponsibly during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the state Assembly, alleging that the Opposition was repeatedly disrupting proceedings and staging walkouts instead of raising issues concerning the people of the state.

Speaking to ANI in Shimla on the fourth day of the Monsoon Session, Singh said both the government and the Opposition had an equal responsibility to ensure the Assembly functioned effectively.

"The government has a responsibility to run the Assembly, but the Opposition has an equal responsibility and duty. It should come to the House and continuously raise the issues of the people, highlight developmental projects and point out shortcomings," Singh said.

He alleged that BJP legislators were instead bringing "new props" to the Assembly, staging walkouts and subsequently making statements to the media.

"If they think that by doing this they will gain popularity, their issues are not going to be resolved through such tactics," Singh said.

Singh said the government had several issues on which it could corner the Opposition and was already raising them. He claimed the BJP was under pressure because it was unable to effectively counter the government's arguments.

Responding to the BJP's protests, Singh said the ruling party had the right to raise issues concerning what he described as injustice being done to Himachal Pradesh by the Centre.

"If they have the right to protest against us, we also have the full right to raise our voice against the injustice being done to Himachal Pradesh by the Centre," he said.

He said the Congress government had a responsibility to place its developmental work before the people and also counter what he termed "baseless misinformation" being spread by the Opposition.

On Government Employment

On the issue of government employment, Singh said the Congress government had undertaken recruitment across several departments. He referred to the police constable recruitment process, saying that recruitment had not been completed properly during the previous government and that the process was later cancelled after irregularities and a scam came to light.

"We have recruited around 1,300 to 1,500 constables in the police. Van Mitras have been recruited in the Forest Department, while the Education Department has witnessed record recruitment. Doctors have also been recruited," Singh said.

He said the government was making efforts to provide employment opportunities across departments.

Outsourcing Policy Under Review

On the Opposition's criticism of outsourcing, Singh said outsourcing was not a new practice and had existed under both the previous BJP government and the present Congress government across different departments. However, he said the state government was examining the issue in view of observations made by the Himachal Pradesh High Court and the Supreme Court.

"Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has made it clear that we are making every effort to formulate a policy so that the interests of outsourced employees can be protected in the future," Singh said.

BJP's 'Battle for Political Space'

He alleged that the Opposition was raising issues without sufficient factual basis and said such politics did not suit Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur.

Singh alleged that the BJP was currently engaged in an internal competition over political issues, with different leaders attempting to raise different subjects to outshine one another.

"This is a battle for political space and existence. One leader wants to raise one issue, another wants to raise something else, and in trying to outdo each other, they bring up issues in the Assembly that have little connection with the people of Himachal Pradesh," he alleged.

Delay in Road Works

Turning to roads, Singh acknowledged public dissatisfaction over the delay in tarring and metalling works in the state. He said the government had earlier apologised to the people because the usual metalling and tarring process scheduled during March-April-May could not be carried out to the desired extent.

"I officially accept that the work was much less than it should have been," Singh said, attributing the delay primarily to a sharp rise in construction costs following international developments, including the conflict in the Middle East.

He said the government had repeatedly raised the issue of increased costs and had now incorporated the escalated costs into its calculations.

Singh said the government had fixed a target of 800 km of road metalling and tarring, with an estimated cost of around Rs 120-130 crore, and budgetary provision had been made for the work. He said he had directed the department to begin work immediately after the monsoon, particularly on roads identified under the Annual Maintenance Plan (AMP).

"The tarring work will begin within the next month after the monsoon ends," he said.

Singh said the government had floated tenders earlier, but contractors did not undertake the work despite the tendering process because construction material prices had almost doubled.

"Our hands were also tied because prices had doubled. This was partly a Centre-related issue and partly an international issue," he said.

He added that the government had now accounted for the escalated amount, paving the way for road works to resume after the monsoon.

Monsoon Impact on Roads

On the continuing monsoon impact, Singh said road closures were being reported daily across Himachal Pradesh, with around 100, 200 or 300 roads being affected at different times and roughly 300 roads closed on Tuesday. He said the department was continuously working to restore connectivity, with machinery deployed at vulnerable locations.

Singh said there had been no major incident reported in which emergency services or other essential personnel were unable to reach affected locations.

"If we receive information about any such situation, immediate action is taken," he said, adding that the department was monitoring road connectivity and responding to closures on a priority basis. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)