Thaw in ties? Himachal PWD Minister Vikramaditya meets CM Sukhu at Oak Over, both travel in same car to Secretariat for cabinet meeting
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TNR Desk
Seen at odds with each other amid the political crisis in Himachal Pradesh, PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at the latter’s residence Oak Over in Shimla ahead of the cabinet meeting on Thursday (March 7, 2024).
The two leaders are learnt to have discussed important issues. Vikramaditya also facilitated a meeting of a zila parishad delegation from Lahaul with the Chief Minister.
After the meeting, Vikramaditya reached the Secretariat with the Chief Minister in the latter’s car. Before the start of the cabinet meeting as well, consultation took place between the two leaders in the Secretariat.
The Sukhvinder Sukhu-led Congress government has convened a cabinet meeting on Thursday, in what will be the third meeting of the council of ministers in less than 10 days. With the Lok Sabha elections expected to be announced anytime soon, the Sukhu government has been on an overdrive to woo the voters, making several populist announcements. In the March 7 meeting as well, several key decisions are likely to be taken.
The government in recent days announced the rollout of the Congress regime’s fifth “pre-poll guarantee” of Rs 1,500 to each woman in the state aged 18 to 60 years. Women above this age were already drawing an equal amount in the form of pension.
The government had also announced the release of pending arrears of hiked salary and pension for employees and pensioners. In addition, several contractual employees were regularised while a decision was taken to fill a large number of vacant posts.
Chief Minister Sukhu had even tried to mollify his detractors by offering posts to Congress MLAs, including Nand Lal (Rampur) and Bhawani Singh Pathania (Fatehpur), who were seen close to rival camps.
The cabinet meeting held on Saturday (March 2) was marred by uproar with Education Minister Rohit Thakur abruptly leaving it in a fit of rage. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri rushed out and swiftly intervened to persuade his return. Subsequently, Revenue Minister Jagat Negi also exited the meeting, though the reason for his discontent remained undisclosed.
PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh had skipped the meeting as he was travelling to Delhi. He had visited six rebel Congress MLAs in Chandigarh. Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan too didn’t attend the meeting as he had a pre-scheduled appointment with a doctor in Chandigarh.
