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Jai Ram Thakur Accuses CM Sukhu of Politicizing Disaster Relief in Himachal Pradesh
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur accused CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of misusing disaster relief programs for political purposes. Thakur alleged corruption, favoritism toward out-of-state contractors, and poor fund utilization, saying only a fraction of central aid reached affected families.
Jai Ram Thakur Accuses CM Sukhu of Politicizing Disaster Relief Programs
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, accusing him of turning the state’s disaster relief initiatives into a political tool to settle personal scores.
Addressing a press conference in Mandi, Thakur alleged that instead of showing compassion toward disaster-hit citizens, the Sukhu government used relief programs to target the opposition, even barring BJP legislators from participating in relief activities.
Thakur claimed that the central government had already provided ₹5,500 crore and 1.11 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for Himachal’s rehabilitation efforts. “Despite such substantial assistance, the Sukhu government has failed to utilize even a tenth of the allocated funds,” he said, adding that only ₹81 crore had so far reached affected families — evidence, he claimed, of delay and inefficiency.
He further alleged that projects meant for public sector undertakings were being handed over to contractors from Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, reflecting favoritism and corruption. “These contractors are being brought in because public sector firms cannot pay bribes like private ones,” Thakur said, calling it “a betrayal of Himachal’s interests.”
Criticizing the state’s excise policy, Thakur compared Sukhu’s approach to that of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, claiming mid-year policy changes were unlawful and could cost the exchequer ₹1,250 per liquor case. He also accused senior officials close to the Chief Minister of interfering in liquor factory raids to protect violators.
Highlighting what he called financial mismanagement, Thakur said the Chief Minister was running the state on “a model of taxes and debt,” with Himachal’s debt burden rising by nearly ₹40,000 crore in just three years. He accused the government of neglecting public welfare as citizens grapple with inflation, closed schools, and unpaid contractor dues.
Thakur also pointed out that although the Chief Minister announced a ₹4,500 crore relief package for disaster-affected families in 2023, official data shows that barely ₹300 crore has actually been disbursed.
