BJP state president questions government priorities, raises Himcare, pension, jobs, rising costs and closure of National Highway offices
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh BJP president Dr. Rajiv Bindal has accused the state government of spending crores of rupees on luxury facilities for the Chief Minister and ministers while reducing relief and essential services available to ordinary people.
Aiming at Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Bindal said the Chief Minister’s political journey, which he described as having begun with an Alto car, had now reached a stage involving luxury vehicles, expensive offices and government bungalows, while the common man was facing increasing debt, taxes and inflation.
Calling this the reality of the Congress government’s much-promoted “systemic change”, Bindal alleged that the government’s priorities had shifted away from the needs of the people.
He said concessions and relief available to the public had been curtailed through changes in electricity subsidies, imposition of various cesses on power and alterations in concessions related to stamp duty and HRTC services.
“On one hand, relief for the common man is being reduced, while on the other, crores of rupees are being spent on expensive and well-equipped offices for those in power,” Bindal said.
‘No money for ₹10 registration slip, but crores for luxury offices’
Bindal particularly criticised the government over the reported ₹10 charge for registration slips at government hospitals.
He said it was ironic that poor and sick people were being asked to pay even ₹10 for a registration slip while the government was spending heavily on its own facilities.
He also raised questions over the functioning of the Himcare health scheme, saying complaints and difficulties faced by beneficiaries continued to surface while the government appeared willing to spend on its own comforts.
Pensioners, unemployed youth waiting for relief
The BJP leader also highlighted the concerns of pensioners over pending dues and timely payment of pensions.
He alleged that unemployed youth were still waiting for jobs and claimed that the Congress government’s pre-election promise of providing one lakh government jobs had failed to meet expectations.
Bindal said women in the state were also repeatedly drawing the government’s attention to its election promises, while ordinary families were struggling with increasing expenses related to electricity, water, transportation and healthcare.
He further criticised the closure and merger of schools, saying such decisions could affect access to education, particularly in rural areas.
Questions closure of National Highway offices
Bindal also questioned the government’s decision to close one division and eight sub-divisions associated with the National Highway network.
He said these offices had been established to undertake road construction, maintenance and regional development work, and demanded that the government explain how their closure would affect people in the concerned areas and ongoing road projects.
“There is no money for relief to the poor, no funds for Himcare, and no money to run offices dedicated to development; yet crores of rupees are available for the luxuries of power and lavish offices—is this what is called ‘systemic change’?” Bindal said.
‘People will judge government in elections’
Bindal said the Congress government needed to reconsider its priorities and argued that government resources should primarily be directed towards the poor, farmers, employees, pensioners, women and unemployed youth.
He again drew a comparison between the Chief Minister’s earlier political journey and the facilities available to the government today, saying people were closely watching government expenditure and decisions.
He said the people of Himachal Pradesh would ultimately assess the government’s performance and spending and give their verdict in the upcoming Assembly elections.
