Shimla, Aug 21 Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition, Jairam Thakur, on Thursday said the Congress formed the government in the state based on the support of employees, “but now it is doing injustice to the employees.”
The issue of clearing the 11 per cent dearness allowance (DA) of the employees was raised by the BJP in the assembly.
An assurance was also sought from Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu that he would give a date by which the pending DA would be released. As there was no clear reply on the issue, BJP members staged a walkout while accusing the government of not honouring the commitments.
Raising the issue during question hour in the Vidhan Sabha, BJP member Satpal Singh Satti said, despite the Chief Minister's announcement in his Budget speech that the pending DA would be given to the employees soon, it was still pending.
Leader of the Opposition Thakur accused the Chief Minister of misleading the House and not honouring his Budget commitments. Later, he told the media that the government had withheld more than 11 per cent DA of the employees.
“It is also clear from the Chief Minister’s reply today that he does not want to give this dearness allowance,” Thakur said.
The Chief Minister beats around the bush and leaves everything to the previous government.
“It has been more than two and a half years since this government was formed. Even after this, it is shameless on the part of the government to blame the previous government for its failures. Now the Chief Minister should accept his failures and mistakes. The government, which came to power by giving false guarantees and false promises, cannot put everything on the opposition,” he said outside the assembly.
He said the Chief Minister had said in the House during the budget session that the employees would get one instalment of DA from May.
“But May has passed, June has passed, July has passed, and August is also about to pass, but no announcement has been made by the government. Even today, the Chief Minister is not giving assurance of releasing the DA, which makes it clear that DA is not going to be given in the coming time as well.”
“The government has not paid the medical bills of the employees for two and a half years. Is the opposition responsible for this, too? DA was pending even during the previous government of late Virbhadra Singh, and our government gave it to the people.”
“This is a normal process. But the government is doing politics instead of working for the welfare of the employees. This is unfortunate. The government should release DA to the employees immediately,” Thakur added.
--IANS
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