Tempers run high in HP assembly as Sukhu, Jai Ram spar over govt jobs
Tensions ran high in the Himachal Pradesh assembly on Tuesday as discussions on budget estimates escalated into a heated debate over government job promises. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur found themselves at odds over the issue, with Sukhu challenging Jai ram to produce a purported document promising one lakh government jobs annually.
Participating in the budget debate, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Trilok Jamwal alleged during his budget speech that the Congress had pledged to provide one lakh government jobs in their first cabinet meeting, and failed to deliver. Sukhu vehemently denied this claim, asserting that the Congress had instead promised to create one lakh employment opportunities per year.
Jai ram countered by presenting a guarantee from the Congress, purportedly promising one lakh government jobs annually, which he read from his mobile device. Sukhu dismissed the document as fake, emphasising the unreliability of social media sources and challenging Jai Ram to provide credible evidence.
Sukhu reiterated that the Congress had committed to generating one lakh jobs annually, without specifying government positions. He called for tangible evidence from Jai Ram and insisted on placing any such document on the House table for verification.
Sukhu said that deemed one lakh government jobs as misleading propaganda on social media and pledged government action against such misinformation. Despite the initial tension, the House eventually resumed discussions after the clarification
Earlier, BJP MLA and former speaker Vipin Singh Parmar launched a scathing attack on the government. He criticised various aspects of the state’s governance, ranging from health services to the Congress party’s ten guarantees.
Parmar lambasted the government, asserting the apparent difference between the current budget and its predecessor. He said the state government was distorting facts and failing to deliver on promises made in previous budgets.
Drawing attention to the allocation of funds for MLAs, Parmar questioned the government’s decision to increase MLA funds by ₹10 lakh while he highlighted the closure of numerous institutions under their administration. He urged the government to prioritise reopening these institutions before announcing new initiatives.
Parmar also aimed the Congress party’s ten guarantees, noting that a year had passed without any significant progress on fulfilling these promises. He contrasted this with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fulfilment of his commitments, such as the abrogation of Article 370 and the construction of the Ram Temple.
The BJP MLA attacked the government’s handling of disaster relief efforts, citing delays in disbursing funds to affected individuals. He lamented the collapse of health services in the state, highlighting the failure of schemes like Ayushman and Sahara Yojana to reach patients effectively.
Agriculture minister Chandra Kumar defended the government’s budget, emphasising its focus on revitalizing the state’s economy. Kumar outlined plans for organic farming initiatives, including the purchase of cow dung fertiliser from farmers at a subsidised rate of ₹3 per kilogram. He praised Sukhu for his efforts to mitigate the impact of the disaster through a special economic package.
The issue of junior office assistant (JOA-IT) recruitment echoed in the assembly. Congress MLA Rajendra Rana urged the government to declare the result of JOA IT recruitment
exam.
Supporting the budget, Rana welcomed the government’s announcement of providing education to the children of widows along with the Sukhashraya Scheme. He said that in the budget, along with increasing the honorarium of temporary
employees, it has also been announced to increase the honorarium and daily wage of anganwadi, asha workers, elected representatives of panchayats and many other sections, but the government is yet to declare the result of JOA IT candidates.