Himachal Pradesh Congress government anti-people, it is withdrawing welfare schemes: BJP

Una, Himachal: The BJP Friday termed the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh "anti-people" and "anti-employee", alleging not only it is not fulfilling its pre-poll promises, but it has also withdrawn several welfare schemes brought by the previous BJP dispensation.

The party adopted a resolution at a meeting of its state executive condemned the government for "stopping" free uniforms to schoolchildren started by the BJP government and also "discontinuing" free laptop initiative to meritorious students.

The resolution was moved by Randhir Sharma and seconded by Anurag Thakur.

"The government is patting its back for restoration of Old Pension Scheme (OPS) but thousands of employees of State Electricity Board and Urban Local Bodies are fighting for OPS, arrears of revised pay scale to employees amounting Rs 9,000 crore and other dues like payment of gratuity, leave encashment, medical reimbursement and other dues amounting Rs 20,000 crore are still pending," said the resolution, released after a two-day meeting of the state executive.

In another resolution which moved by Trilok Jamwal and seconded by Sikender Kumar, the BJP hailed the victory of the party in all for Lok Sabha seats, congratulated Narendra Modi for becoming prime minister for third time, BJP National president J P Nadda for becoming leader of the NDA in the Rajya Sabha and hailed the Centre's decision to observe June 25 as "Samvidhan Hatya Divas" The party also alleged that the state government has miserably failed in dealing with the last year's natural disaster despite the fact that the central government released Rs 1,782 crore as disaster relief at different times and Rs 251 crore was released to the Janata Disaster Relief Fund.

Addressing the state executive, former Haryana chief minister and Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal alleged the Congress party spread lies and indulged in malicious propaganda during the elections.

"The Congress is happy that it has become the main opposition party... the BJP was in full majority 10 years ago and is again in majority," he said.

State BJP chief Rajiv Bindal called the Congress anti-people.

"The Congress party had caused much more damage to the nation than the British rulers,' he claimed, and alleged Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu-led government in the state is neck deep in corruption.

"I cannot understand why the Congress party was making a hue and cry when it has neither achieved anything nor done anything for the masses," said former chief minister and incumbent Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur The BJP state in-charge Shrikant Sharma said that in the last 18 months, the Congress government has completely collapsed under its own weight and will soon need ventilators.