Named aspirational district, Chamba ignored: Pratibha Singh

Dharamsala, July 4

Congress president Pratibha Singh said in Chamba today that the state government had ignored the district.

Pratibha, while addressing Congress workers during a rally, said that the Central Government had declared Chamba as an aspirational district, which was counted among the most backward districts of the country. “The people of Chamba were given an impression that the district would be given liberal grants for development. However, the district has hardly got any funds under the Aspirational District programme. In the past more than four years of rule, the state government has started no major project in Chamba district,” she alleged.

Pratibha said that roads and other infrastructure in the district were poor. The tribal areas of Bharmour, Tissa and Pangi had been ignored. The district was facing an acute shortage of doctors and teachers and people were protesting but nothing had been done, she added.

The HPCC president targeted the government over the constable recruitment paper leak case, Agnipath scheme for Army recruitment and the price rise. She alleged that lakhs of unemployed youth in the state were duped in the constable recruitment paper leak case. Interestingly, in the chargesheet filed by the police in the case, 71 accused were either candidates or their parents, who were in reality the victims.

Pratibha said that the police had failed to arrest the masterminds of the scam. The Chief Minister had announced that the inquiry into the paper leak case would be handed over to the CBI. However, the police had already filed the chargesheet, which shows that the case would not be handed over to the CBI.

She said that the Agnipath scheme was aimed at doing away with pension for Army soldiers. The dreams of lakhs of youth from Himachal, who wanted to join the Indian Army, had been dashed due to the Agnipath scheme, she alleged.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders from Chamba presented a show of strength in the presence of the HPCC president. Dalhouise MLA Asha Kumari, former minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri, former MLA Kuldeep Singh Pathania and HPCC general secretary Kewal Singh Pathania attended the rally.