Former BJP minister and party’s state vice president Dr Rajiv Saizal has said that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh should bring a white paper on payments to Public Works Department contractors.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Saizal took a dig at PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh, saying that he should give a statement only after seeking information from his department as contractors are not getting payments for their work in the entire state.

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Accusing Singh of defending his government, he said that the minister is pretending falsely to save his government.

“If he (Singh) is that concerned, then he should table a white paper on this issue to bring the truth to the fore. Small contractors in the entire state are worried about their payment and are criticising the government publicly on various platforms,” he said.

It would have been better if the PWD minister had focused on payment, rather than commenting on the leader of the opposition without any basis, he charged.

Payment to contractors in Himachal Pradesh has exceeded Rs 1,001 crore, he alleged.

Cornering the government, Saizal sought to know from the Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the portfolio of the Transport Department, about the suicide of a driver of Himachal Road Transport Corporation, wherein he alleged harassment by the Regional Manager (RM) of Dharampur.

There should be a high-level investigation into this case, he demanded, claiming that the video of the incident was going viral on social media.

In this video, the driver accuses the Regional Manager of stopping his salary and firing him from his job. Sanjay, who was posted as a driver at the Dharampur depot, was originally a resident of Badah in the Kullu district.

It is being said that the driver committed suicide by consuming a poisonous substance, although it has not been ascertained where he consumed the poison,” he asserted, adding that this case needs a fair investigation.