Jai Ram Thakur takes jibe at Sukhu govt, calls it ‘paltu sarkar’

Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday said that the Sukhu-led Congress regime had become a ‘paltu’ government which took a U-turn on all its decisions following public outrage.

Addressing a press conference, Thakur alleged that the rhetoric of Vyavastha Parivartan was yielding nothing as the situation in Himachal was going from bad to worse. “Notifications are issued and when adverse feedback is received, the orders are modified. What is worse, is that the notifications are issued on back date as control damage, but everyone knows the reality,” he said.

“A notification was issued on October 23 regarding the abolishment of almost 1.50 lakh posts lying vacant, and today, a notification was issued amending it in the back date of October 23 as damage control,” he claimed.

Talking about the guarantees made by the Congress, he said a promise had been made to fill 65,000 vacant posts and create 35,000 posts, which had not been done so far. “It is almost two years since the formation of the government, but till now, very few job opportunities have been created. If you have made a commitment in the elections, it is the moral responsibility of the government to honour them,” he remarked. On the contrary, the Congress regime was working against its guarantees, he alleged.

“Rather than covering up his mistakes and blaming the Opposition or media for his own faults, the Chief Minister should have admitted his mistakes,” he said, adding that false guarantees made by the Congress in Himachal was one of the reasons for the party’s defeat in Haryana.

He said the notification of toilet tax had created confusion, and now, the enhanced freight rates in the Himachal Road Transport Corporation had also been amended, indicating the confusion and chaos in the government. “The claims of the Sukhu regime that the notification is the same, as issued in 2012 by the Dhumal regime, is wrong. That notification spoke of regularisation after five years and filling of functional posts, with no mention of abolishing any post,” said Thakur.

The CM had been crying hoarse about the financial crisis, and should have removed Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and chairmen and vice-chairmen of boards and corporations, he added.