Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said the state government will immediately remove officers of doubtful integrity (ODI) from key positions in different departments.
Sukhu stated this while replying to a question by BJP MLA from Una, Satpal Singh Satti, in the state Assembly. Satti pointed out that officers of doubtful integrity were being given extensions and re-employment under the present government. Satti said this meant that the government was sheltering corruption in various departments. He specifically raised the issue of an official allegedly involved in corruption being given re-employment in Una district.
The budget session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly resumed on an aggressive note, with the opposition BJP setting the tone in the morning by submitting a privilege notice to the Speaker against Chief Minister Sukhu for alleged false announcements in the previous three budgets.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said this amounted to misleading the House, and the BJP had moved a notice for a privilege motion against the Chief Minister under Rule 75. He said the fourth budget is to be presented on March 21, but the declarations made in the previous three budgets have not been fulfilled.
Later, opening the debate on the Governor’s address, which former Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla had concluded in just two and a half minutes, citing concerns over constitutional decorum, Jai Ram Thakur said the Governor had taken the right course. He added that the state government had repeatedly blamed the Central government for the withdrawal of the Revenue Deficit Grant.
Thakur said the Congress government had been a “total flop” despite borrowing huge amounts, taking the Himachal’s total debt to Rs 1.10 lakh crore. He said there was no progress in flagship schemes and that money spent in some schemes was even lower than funds used by a panchayat pradhan. He said there was little visible work on the ground and that the slogan ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’ had turned into ‘Vyavastha Patan’.
Later, speaking to mediapersons, CM Sukhu said Jai Ram Thakur was tensed due to factionalism within the BJP now and his leadership was under threat. He said the Leader of Opposition had nothing substantial to say.
Sukhu alleged that Jai Ram Thakur had constructed “ lavish bhawans” during his tenure to benefit close associates/contractors, which are now lying unused.
“We are now trying to see how they can be put to use,” he said. Sukhu also said criticism of spending on flagship schemes, especially natural farming, was unwarranted, as the government had only recently started procuring natural produce from farmers, and such initiatives take time.
When asked about the privilege notice against him, Sukhu dismissed it as a political gimmick by the BJP to stay in the news.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders termed the government’s move to withdraw cabinet rank from advisors, chairpersons and vice-chairpersons as an “eye-wash”, saying there was no clarity on what facilities had been withdrawn from them. Former BJP minister Bikram Thakur said that only 20 per cent of their salaries had been deferred for six months.
Also read: Formal-wear mandatory for Himachal employees
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