Congress regime a ‘paltu sarkar’, takes U-turn after public outrage: Jai Ram

Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur today alleged that the Congress government had become a ‘paltu’ regime, which takes a U-turn on all its decisions after public outrage.

Thakur, while addressing mediapersons here, said that while the government was indulging in the rhetoric of 'Vyavastha Parivartan', the situation in Himachal was going from bad to worse. “Notifications are issued and when adverse feedback is received, orders are modified. What is even worse is that the notifications are issued in back dates to control damage but everyone knows the reality,” he alleged.

He said that the government issued a notification even today in the date of October 23 after seeing the backlash against the decision to abolish around 1.50 lakh vacant posts in Himachal. “A notification was issued on October 23 regarding abolishing vacant posts and a notification was issued on Saturday amending it in back date of October 23 to control damage,” he alleged.

About the guarantees given by the Congress before the last Assembly elections, Thakut said that people were promised that 65,000 vacant posts would be filled and 35,000 new posts would be created but nothing had been done so far. “It is almost two years since the Congress formed government in the state but till now only a few job opportunities have been created. When the Congress had made a commitment to people before the elections, it was now the moral responsibility of the state government to honour it. But on the contrary, the Congress government is working against the guarantees made to people," he added.

He said, “Rather than covering up his mistakes and blaming the Opposition or the media for his own faults, the Chief Minister should admit his mistakes. The false guarantees given by the Congress in Himachal was one of the reasons for its defeat in Haryana."

Thakur said that the notification for 'toilet tax' had created confusion and now the notification for enhanced freight rates had been amended, indicating chaos in the government. “The claim of the government that the notification is the same as the PK Dhumal regime had issued in 2012 is totally wrong. The 2012 notification spoke of the regularisation of service after five years and filling of functional posts with no mention of abolishing any post,” he claimed.

The former Chief Minister said that Sukhu was always crying hoarse about a financial crisis but he did not remove Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs) and the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of various boards and corporations. Such a decision would have sent a positive signal but the state government was working contrary to all past traditions and conventions.