Himachal Pradesh Politics Heats Up: Jai Ram Thakur Alleges Bias in Scheme Allocation, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Hits Back

Political tensions in Himachal Pradesh escalated on Saturday as Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur accused the state government of favouring Congress MLAs in the allocation of Centre-sponsored schemes. The allegation sparked a sharp response from Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who dismissed the claims as completely unfounded.

Raising the issue, Thakur claimed that a majority of projects—especially those funded by NABARD—were being directed towards constituencies represented by Congress leaders, while areas represented by BJP MLAs were being overlooked. He questioned whether the government was functioning impartially and demanded clarity on whether future allocations would be made fairly across all constituencies.

The issue was brought up during the Question Hour by Nachan MLA Vinod Kumar, putting the government on the defensive. However, CM Sukhu firmly rejected the accusations, stating that judging allocations merely by the number of projects was misleading.

“The Opposition should not focus only on how many schemes are allotted. Instead, they should also look at the total funds allocated,” Sukhu said. He further added that significant disaster-related funds had been directed towards the constituency of the Leader of Opposition himself, countering the narrative of bias.

Meanwhile, Thakur also pushed back against the state government’s repeated claims of discrimination by the Centre. He highlighted that Himachal Pradesh received ₹47,519 crore over the past three years, asserting that the financial support from the Centre had been more than sufficient.

In response, CM Sukhu clarified that such financial assistance was not a favour but the rightful share of the state from central taxes.

🚰 Concerns Over Water Infrastructure and Pending Funds

The debate also shifted to infrastructure concerns when Dharampur MLA Chandrashekhar raised alarms about water tanks constructed during the previous government’s tenure. He warned that several large tanks could pose safety risks to nearby villages if not properly maintained.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri informed the House that 550 water tanks had been built in Dharampur, with many having capacities ranging from 50,000 litres to over one lakh litres. He acknowledged that repair and maintenance work was being delayed due to pending funds under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

🏙️ Smart Cities Mission Progress Update

On urban development, the government shared updates under the Smart Cities Mission. In Shimla, 203 projects worth ₹810.95 crore were approved, of which 187 have already been completed and 16 are currently under construction.

Similarly, in Dharamsala, 80 projects worth ₹655.74 crore were sanctioned. Out of these, 77 projects have been completed, while work continues on the remaining three.

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