To highlight the achievements of its government over the past eight months, the Himachal Pradesh Congress has decided to organise a Vikas Rally on August 30 at Shimla.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh will address the rally, where most of its cabinet ministers and other leaders with party workers will be present. Congress claimed that in its eight months rein, Congress led government has taken several public welfare decisions and initiative, which were proving beneficial for the common masses. Congress claimed that it has resurrected important old policies and has also launched many new schemes and programmes. The Skill Development Allowance Scheme-2013, under which eligible unemployed youth, aged between 18 and 35 years, would be given a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 for training is one of that.
This rally is coming shortly after the BJP’s protest rally, which was organised on 23rd August with the aim to highlight the political victimization from Congress led Govt. BJP had succeeded to gather thousands of party workers at Shimla and protested peacefully. BJP had claimed it successful; however, Congress president has termed it a flop show.
However, now, state BJP has also targeted at the proposed Congress’ ‘Vikas Rally’ and while taking a quip at the Congress, BJP state spokesperson Ganesh Dutt in his press communiqué said that Congress was holding a Vikas Rally without having any achievements on the development front. He said that development activities had virtually come to a halt over the past eight months and the Congress government had been busy wreaking vendetta on political opponents. Over 45,000 employees had been transferred, mostly on political considerations, and the government had been harping on financial crisis.
He claimed that even routine functions, like the supply of ration under the public distribution system, were not being conducted smoothly and people. The government had curtailed the pension benefits of employees and also deprived them of the time-bound promotions after 4, 9 and 14 years of service on the Punjab pattern, he quipped.
BJP also attacked Congress for not fulfilling its poll promise of unemployment allowance. Ganesh Dutt said that the government had been maintaining that it was facing financial stringency, but that did not deter it from indulging in wasteful expenditure like expensive cars costing Rs 25 lakh each, which were not at all suitable for the hill state, bought for ministers was a glaring example of it.
Ganesh Dutt has asked the Congress leaders to explain their position on all these issues during the rally.
