Shimla, Feb 14,
Despite the prevailing dry weather and coldwave, political temperatures in Himachal Pradesh remain high as the ruling Congress and opposition BJP continue their daily war of words.
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Himachal Pradesh Panchayat Minister Anirudh Singh has dismissed allegations made by Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur regarding an incident where a contractor allegedly removed furniture from the Block Development Officer (BDO) office in Kullu due to unpaid dues. Singh termed these claims as baseless, accusing the opposition of spreading falsehoods to create unnecessary controversy and mislead the public.
Clarifying the situation, Singh stated that the issue stemmed from an unauthorized procurement of office furniture by the BDO without prior government approval. Upon discovery, the administration issued a show-cause notice to the officer. In response, the BDO returned the furniture to the contractor. Singh emphasized that this was an internal administrative matter rather than an issue of pending contractor payments. He further noted that the BDO in question had already retired, but the opposition was now distorting the facts to project a false narrative about the government’s financial position.
Addressing concerns about the state’s financial situation, Singh asserted that the Panchayati Raj Department is financially stable, with ₹58 crore already allocated for various development initiatives. He also highlighted the construction of three new BDO offices in Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla districts as evidence that government work continues unhindered. Criticizing certain media reports, he urged journalists to verify facts before amplifying misleading narratives. Singh also accused the BJP of fabricating issues to distract from their own shortcomings.
The minister further criticized the central government’s alleged bias against Himachal Pradesh, claiming that a recent ₹3,000 crore deduction from central funds had hampered the state’s financial resources. He suggested that instead of making accusations, the opposition should support the state government in urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release funds owed to Himachal Pradesh. Singh argued that opposition-ruled states are being systematically deprived of resources while BJP-led states benefit from the “double-engine” governance model.
Countering these claims, BJP leader and former MLA Rajiv Sehaijal defended the central government, rejecting accusations of financial discrimination against Himachal Pradesh. He argued that the Congress-led state government was responsible for poor financial management, prioritizing office renovations over essential payments to contractors. According to Sehaijal, the misallocation of resources within the state, rather than a lack of central assistance, was the real cause of fiscal challenges.
With both parties locked in a war of words, the debate over the state’s financial health continues to intensify. While the Congress government attributes the crisis to withheld Central funds, the BJP maintains that the root cause lies in mismanagement at the State level.
