Opposition Targets Congress Govt Over Budget Session, Calls for Extension
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur
Shimla, Mar 08. 2025: The budget session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly is likely to be a combative one, with the opposition unequivocal about its displeasure over the shortened session. Jai Ram Thakur, leader of opposition addressed a state-level programme being organised by the BJP Mahila Morcha on the occasion of International Women’s Day, in Shimla and hit out at the Congress government for reducing the duration of the session. The former Chief Minister said there was a strong strategy of opposition and the opposition wanted to raise a number of issues in between the proceeding.
Thakur claimed in a statement that the government had reduced the duration of the session in order to evade discussion on important matters in the Assembly. He noted that while the Governor’s address would consume four days and budget discussions four more, the opposition would have little time to address other pressing matters. “The opposition wants to raise various issue, for example there is a lot of corruption, drug abuse is on the rise, our governance is failing,” Thakur said. He pointed to the drug ongoing crisis where young people die through overdose, and said the government was not concerned about issuing pensions and employment to the youth in a timely manner.
Thakur also attacked the Congress governments approach towards employment issues, arguing that the Congress government had ended 1.5 lakh vacant government posts had been scrapped, while over 10,000 outsourced workers had been dismissed. He also noted that a lot of outsourced workers still paced seven months without salary, and pensioners were also being backed up for the payment of their merits. The Congress government, which claimed that it would serve as a friend of the employees and workers, did not keep its word, Thakur suggested.
He also raised questions about the Him Care scheme, claiming the government was amending the scheme in a way that could deny a large number of citizens from availing them. There were also speculations about the government adding its name to the scheme, he said, which made the whole initiative more of a political move than a game changer for public benefits.
From his speech’s podium, Thakur also took the opportunity to congratulate women on International Women’s Day and their achievements in every field. Referring to the schemes launched by the central government, particularly the 33 per cent reservation implemented during the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said it has helped women gain empowerment and representation. He also highlighted several state level initiatives such as the Grahini facility, reducing fares in government buses for women by half and the Swavalamban and Shagun Yojana schemes to empower women and make them more viable.
Thakur said that the budget session should be extended so that proper discussions can be held on these important matters.
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