Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu gives practice of winter sojourn in Kangra a miss

Tribune News Service

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, March 1

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has given the practice of winter sojourn in Kangra district a miss. Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur had yesterday raised the issue of winter sojourn and alleged that the Congress government was biased against the district.

Was started by Virbhadra in 1990s

• Former CM Virbhadra Singh had started the practice of winter sojourn in 1990s, as he was accused of ignoring lower areas of Himachal
• BJP CM Prem Kumar Dhumal had followed the practice and rather extended his winter stay in Kangra as well as Una and Hamirpur districts

Sanjay Sharma, BJP spokesperson for Kangra parliamentary constituency, said, “The Congress while in the opposition always accused our government of not holding the Chief Minister’s winter sojourn in Kangra. However, Sukhu had ignored the practice of spending some days in Kangra to address the issues of lower areas of the state.”

Former Congress Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had started the practice in 1990s. Many Congress leaders from Kangra, especially Vijai Singh Mankotia, had launched a campaign against Virbhadra Singh for allegedly ignoring Kangra.

BJP’s PK Dhumal had followed the practice during his tenure as Chief Minister. He had rather extended his winter stay in Kangra as well as Una and Hamirpur districts. A new secretariat building was built in Dharamsala during Dhumal’s tenure and the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Kangra was located there while the old building housed the offices of the Chief Minister and the ministers from Kangra district.

The Chief Minister used to sit in his office in Dharamsala during the winter sojourn and listen to the grievances of people from lower areas of the state. He used to tour Kangra, Una, Hamirpur and Chamba districts. However, Jai Ram Thakur did not hold a formal winter sojourn last year on the plea that he had extensively travelled all Assembly constituencies of the state.

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