Shimla, March 4
Three new Municipal Corporations and 412 new Gram Panchayats were constituted by the state government to strengthen the local self government.
This was stated by the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in the state assembly while replying to four days long discussion on ‘ Motion of Thanks’ on the Governor’s Address. He said that Congress remained in the power for decades and could formed only two MCs. However, his government declared three new MCs. He said that despite COVID-19 pandemic, the state government constituted three new MCs in Mandi, Palampur and Solan in the state and they would go to poll soon. Refuting the allegation made by the Congress leaders over his alleged failure of his government during COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Minister said that Congress state presidents have written a letter to AICC president seeking release of Rs 12 crore on accounts of party workers for free distribution of masks and other material including food to people.
He said that the Congress party is losing elections one after another. 2017 state Assembly and the Lok Sabha election in 2019, till the recent Nagar Panchayat and Panchayati Raj elections. He said the Congress candidates lost security in Dharmshala byelection which exposed the state of affairs’ of the party, which ruled the state and country for so many decades.
The Chief Minister accepted that the Government flagship programme Jan Manch was also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. I have attended 45 public programmes and inaugurated many programmes from residence through video conferencing.
He said that the Opposition Congress should have sought apology from the Governor in time. There was no harm to express regret over the fiasco as all BJP members also met the Governor to do the same. We were not expecting that Congress MLAs would block the way of Governor while protesting on the Assembly gate on Feb 26.
Replying to a statement being made by the Opposition about the Governor’s Address Chief Minister said that there was no precedence to call all party meeting. All Governors are free to read or not read the entire address in the assembly, Thakur added
