CM: No celebrations at Mandi, will present only govt’s vision

Responding to the allegations of BJP legislators, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has assured the House that there will be no celebrations to mark three years of the Congress government in Mandi.

“We will only present our vision,” he said, asserting that the focus remains on governance and disaster recovery. He said, “Our government is very much concerned about the plight of the disaster victims. In the absence of any monetary help from the Centre, we are providing relief and doing restoration works by managing funds at our own kevel”, he said while adding, “Himachal is heading towards self-sustainability”.

The Congress government is holding a state-level function in Mandi district on coming December 11 to showcase the works done and present future vision on the completion of three years of its tenure in Himachal.

The Chief Minister said the government showed “magnanimity” by allowing the debate on adjournment motion of the BJP on the PRI-ULB polls, thwarting what he described as the BJP’s “planned ruckus” in the House.

Reaffirming the Congress party’s commitment to constitutional values, Sukhu said, “Congress is the biggest protector of the Constitution. It was the Congress that ensured women’s reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions.”

Sukhu hit back at the BJP for “double standards”, reminding that the previous BJP government had delayed Shimla Municipal Corporation elections by nine months. He alleged that the Opposition was unable to function cohesively. “The BJP is divided into five factions — this is why Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur remains tense,” he said.

On financial concerns, Sukhu clarified that disaster management funds cannot be used for government programmes, accusing the BJP of misleading the public. He said the state had so far received only Rs 451 crore from the Centre under the PDNA (Post-Disaster Needs Assessment).