Sunil Chadha
Dharamshala: The Himachal Pradesh Congress government is facing sharp criticism from the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over alleged misuse and misrepresentation of central education schemes.
BJP state media co-incharge and advocate Vishva Chakshu on Tuesday accused the state government of undermining the PM SHRI scheme under the Samagra Shiksha programme by projecting it as its own initiative and pasting photographs of state leaders on scheme-related material.
Chakshu alleged that the government is misleading the public by claiming credit for central schemes while simultaneously closing or merging nearly 1,400 schools in the state due to budgetary constraints.
“On one hand, the government complains of financial crisis every day, but on the other hand, it claims to send meritorious students on trips through Volvo and even air travel. Does the state have the capacity to bear such expenses from its own budget?” he asked.
The BJP leader also objected to the alleged use of private Volvo buses from outside states for student tours, instead of using Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses.
“It is unfortunate that while HRTC buses are used for Congress rallies despite losses on those routes, students are being sent in private buses from outside Himachal,” he said.
Chakshu further targeted Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, and Education Minister Rohit Thakur, demanding accountability from the government.
He called for a thorough investigation into the alleged irregularities, particularly the hiring of private buses, and urged the state to take corrective measures immediately.
“The Congress government has stooped so low that it is even compromising students’ welfare for political mileage. If the government fails to take appropriate steps soon, the BJP will be left with no option but to launch a state-wide agitation,” Chakshu warned.
