Implementing 10 guarantees top priority: Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 11

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said he was committed to providing a clean and transparent government, which would honour the commitments made to people, including the restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS).

My son A sewadar

My son has always been a sewadar since his childhood and I am confident that he will serve the people of the state selflessly with dedication and sincerity. Sansar Devi, CM’s mother

Grateful to people

I am grateful to the people of the state for having reposed faith in the Congress. The family will continue supporting and backing him (Sukhu) so that he can serve the people with dedication. Kamlesh Thakur, CM's wife

Victory of people

It is the victory of the people of the state. This win is the perfect example of a united and laborious fight. Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress chief

Will fulfil promises

I am elated with the results. The people have reposed faith in the Congress and I assure the people that our government will relentlessly and wholeheartedly work towards fulfilling the promises we made to them. Priyanka Gandhi, Congress leader

“Being a common man, I understand the problems and hardships faced by people at every step and it will be my sincere endeavour to alleviate these,” said Sukhu after taking the oath. All issues concerning people and development of the state would be dealt with on priority after the formation of the Cabinet, besides the OPS, he added.

Sukhu, who has been stressing the need for having a transparency act, said he would provide an honest and accountable government. In the past also, he had been emphasising the need for having a legislation, which made it mandatory for all MLAs to declare their assets every year. Though this was done by way of the election affidavit, he was keen on a legislation for it. He had also been advocating an accountability act to

make government servants accountable to their duty.

The CM reiterated that

the Congress government remained committed to implementing the 10 guarantees promised before the elections. “Immediately, after the formation of the Cabinet, all modalities involved in the fulfilment of the promises will be carried out so that people get relief at the earliest,” he added.

Elaborating on the challenges faced by him, he said he would begin by identifying bottlenecks and hurdles, which need to be removed before rolling out welfare schemes. “To be able to provide good governance to people, we will first have to understand the administrative responsibilities that have been entrusted upon by the people, whose mandate we honour,” he said.

He assured people that he would try his best to live up to their expectations.

Referring to himself and CM Sukhu as ‘Jodi No 1’, Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri today said both

would work in perfect coordination to ensure smooth and effective functioning of the government.

“While I was a minister in the Virbhadra government, the CM was the HPCC president. Even then, we worked in close coordination, which will continue to do even now,” said Agnihotri. He too said the Congress remained committed to the welfare of the people and would fulfil all promises made to the people.

He added that the promise of the OPS made to employees would be fulfilled after the formation of the Cabinet.

Lure of limelight

Even as only MLAs and AICC dignitaries were supposed to sit on the dais set up for the oath-taking ceremony, several others made it to the stage. And when they did not get down despite several polite reminders, HPCC general secretary Rajneesh Kimta had to threaten them. That, too, did not have much effect as many continued to be on the stage.

Floral tributes

Before the commencement of the oath-taking ceremony, all senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, offered floral tributes to the photograph of former CM late Virbhadra Singh on the stage.

People disappointed

With prominent Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, present for the ceremony, people were expecting a few of them to address the crowd. “We travelled and have been braving the sun for hours. Instead of abruptly ending the function, they could have at least thanked the public for voting them to power,” said a group from Nahan.

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