Governance has hit lowest point in state, alleges former CM

Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur has levelled serious allegations against the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government, accusing it of “killing all traditions and systems of governance” and reducing the dignity of administration in Himachal Pradesh.

Thakur said that governance in the hill state has hit its lowest point, alleging that “the Chief Minister himself is speaking blatant lies at every platform — even inside the Vidhan Sabha.” He claimed that the “institution of the CM is at its lowest ebb,” and accused Sukhu of running the government “like a students union.”

The BJP leader said the Congress government has failed to fulfil pre-poll promises of one lakh jobs and a Rs 1,500 monthly honorarium for women. Yet, he added, Sukhu “made tall and false claims” about implementing these schemes during the Bihar election campaign, misleading voters there.

Thakur also blamed the government for failing to release Rs 30 crore in compensatory afforestation funds, which, he said, has jeopardized the construction of the Central University’s Dharamsala campus. He accused the Congress of neglecting key development projects initiated during the previous BJP regime, including the International Convention Centre and the Rs 150-crore Unity Mall project in Dharamsala, both of which remain stalled till date.

Raising questions over the Kangra airport expansion, Thakur said the project has not advanced in three years and that the government has no roadmap to develop Dharamsala as the tourism capital of Himachal.

Calling the Congress regime a “puppet in the hands of bureaucracy,” he alleged that several top administrative posts, including those of the Chief Secretary, DGP, and Kangra SP, are being managed on an officiating basis, creating an “ad hoc system of governance.”

Highlighting financial distress among contractors, Thakur said they have not been paid for two years and are protesting on roads. “How will disaster restoration work proceed under such conditions?” he asked.

Earlier, local MLA Sudhir Sharma, Kangra MLA Pawan Kajal, District BJP president Sachin Sharma, spokesman Sanjay Sharma and a few ex-MLAs and citizens participated in a ‘Run for Unity’ marathon to mark Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, celebrating his legacy of national integration and leadership.