Dharamshala Cong MLA criticises closure of legislator fund in Himachal

The Newz Radar

Dharamshala: Ahead of the scheduled meeting on January 29-30, Dharamshala MLA and Congress national secretary Sudhir Sharma expressed concern over the decision to halt the legislator fund. Sharma highlighted the vital role of the constituency development fund in local progress, deeming its closure unfortunate.

In a statement issued on Friday in Dharamshala, Sharma stated that the legislator fund plays a crucial role in development-related activities. He argued that shutting down the fund is not a reasonable decision. Sharma highlighted that the legislator fund was initiated during the tenure of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and has now been discontinued.

According to Sharma, legislators are finding it challenging to respond to daily inquiries about their development initiatives in the constituency, as the fund is no longer available. He stressed the importance of the legislator fund in contributing to the development of any legislative constituency. In the past, legislators had allocated funds from this source to aid the recovery of disaster-stricken areas in Himachal Pradesh.

Sharma criticised the government’s decision to withhold funds designated for legislator constituency development plans. He argued that the abrupt halt has resulted in the suspension of various development projects across all 68 legislative constituencies in the state.

Projects such as community building construction, retaining wall development, and basic infrastructure improvements have come to a standstill. Sharma urged the state government to promptly release the legislator fund for the welfare of the public. He emphasized the need for immediate reconsideration before the primary legislative meeting on January 29 and 30.

Sharma expressed hope that the state government would review its decision and release the legislator fund before the upcoming meeting, presenting it as a significant gift to the public.