Congress govt in Himachal failed to respond effectively to recent disaster, people disappointed: LoP

Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, accusing it of failing to respond effectively to the recent disaster and neglecting the hardships of the people.

He alleged that in disaster-affected areas, residents are bearing the burden of opening blocked roads themselves, while the government is busy seeking political mileage.

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Thakur said that generous villagers are providing their JCB and L&T machines, while locals are pooling money to buy diesel to keep the machines running.

These community efforts are the only reason several interior roads have been opened.

He accused Congress leaders of pressuring Public Works Department officials to prepare bills for these community-funded roads in their own names.

“Some of these leaders are the Chief Minister’s close confidants. Turning the suffering of people into an opportunity for personal gain is utterly shameful,” he alleged.

He pointed out that in Deji village, where 11 people lost their lives in the recent calamity, the Public Works Department could not send even a single JCB machine for more than a month.

“Roads were finally opened through community cooperation, yet local Congress leaders continued to look for political benefits instead of helping people,” he alleged.

Highlighting the economic consequences, Thakur said, “The entire disaster-hit belt relies heavily on floriculture, agriculture, and horticulture. These products must reach the market within a specific timeframe, or they perish. Today, rotting produce had to be discarded as it could not reach the market. This is a double blow for farmers and growers—first the natural calamity, and then the government’s total failure to ensure connectivity.”

Thakur also ridiculed the government for conducting a four-day marathon Cabinet meeting.

Terming it wasteful and unproductive, he said, “All the agendas could have been resolved in a single day. What did the state gain from this marathon session? Hundreds of institutions were shut down, no new policy for employment was announced, and no relief measures were discussed in depth. This government is continuing on the same old path, working only for the benefit of its friends and political allies, while the common man suffers.”