TNR News Network
Dharamshala:
Senior BJP leader and former Industries Minister Bikram Thakur has launched a scathing attack on the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, accusing it of shielding the corrupt and abandoning the family of a whistleblower officer linked to the multi-crore Pekhuwela Solar Power Project scam.
Referring to the alleged irregularities in the Rs 220-crore solar project, Bikram Thakur said the government must clarify whether it stands with the grieving family of Chief Engineer Vimal Negi, who died under mysterious circumstances, or with those accused of financial misconduct.
Bikram Thakur questioned the reinstatement of Desh Raj, a former director of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited who has been named in the controversy. “Rewarding someone under suspicion of corruption sends the wrong signal. This isn’t zero tolerance but zero accountability,” he remarked.
He also pointed out that while the Himachal Pradesh High Court had earlier rejected Desh Raj’s anticipatory bail, the state government failed to effectively contest the matter in the Supreme Court, further reflecting what he called the government’s “lack of will to act against the corrupt”.
The CBI only took over the investigation after the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s intervention, something Bikram Thakur says should have happened much earlier if the government was truly committed to transparency.
Allegations of corruption and cost inflation
Bikram Thakur highlighted the disparity in project costs, pointing out that while a 35-MW solar plant in Gujarat was built for rs 144 crore, the 32 MW Pekhuwela plant in Himachal was shown to cost a massive Rs 220 crore. He alleged that the tender process was bypassed and the contract was awarded through nomination, with repeated changes made to the detailed project report (DPR) to benefit a specific company.
According to Bikram Thakur, Vimal Negi, who later died under suspicious circumstances, had raised concerns about these irregularities. “Vimal Negi had filed complaints against top officials, including the then Managing Director and Director,” he said. Negi’s body was later found in the Gobind Sagar Lake on March 18, and his family has alleged mental harassment by senior officials as the cause of his death.
Victim’s family questions state’s silence
Referring to recent statements made by Vimal Negi’s wife Kiran Negi, Bikram Thakur said her questions are not just those of a widow seeking justice but of an entire state that is now questioning the very existence of integrity in public service.
He also cited past judicial remarks that criticised the handling of the case by senior police officials, yet the same officers have been reassigned, further eroding public faith in the government’s intent.
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