MANDI:Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur, criticised Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s delayed media clarification over a recent job termination notification, calling it a reflection of governance decline in the state.
Jai Ram alleged that the delay was due to the backdating of official notifications, which he termed unprecedented in Himachal Pradesh’s political history. At a press conference, Jai Ram highlighted a growing trend of controversial governance practices. “In Himachal Pradesh, a notification is issued, followed by public reactions, only for the notification to be then backdated,” he stated, emphasising recent job termination notifications. He cited an example where a notification dated October 26 was allegedly issued under an earlier October 23 date.
According to Jai Ram, such practices allegedly indicate a failure in governance under the current administration. “Himachal Pradesh is witnessing a deterioration, rather than improvement in governance,” he asserted, adding that this approach has created distrust among the public.
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Promises of job creation fall short
Jai Ram reminded the public of the Congress’ campaign promises during the last state elections, which included pledges to create 5 lakh jobs, with 1 lakh in the first year and to fill 65,000 vacant posts. He, however, contended that two years into their term, the Congress government was yet to fulfill these promises. “Not a single job has been delivered to the youth according to actual data,” he claimed, dubbing the current administration a “zero-performance government.”
The BJP leader accused the ruling party of trying to manipulate figures to mislead the public. He also criticised the Chief Minister’s approach towards the media, remarking, “He seems to believe only he possesses all wisdom, dismissing others, including the opposition, as incapable of understanding these notifications.”
Significant impact on employment
The backdated job termination notification is expected to affect 1.5 lakh government positions, according to Jai Ram. He alleged that the Congress government had initially promised to generate 2 lakh jobs over two years but has instead moved to eliminate over 1 lakh jobs. “This administration appears more interested in manipulating data than genuinely creating employment,” he said.
Comparisons with former BJP government’s record
Drawing comparisons with the former BJP administration led by Prem Kumar Dhumal, Jai Ram claimed that job notifications during Dhumal’s tenure focused on regularising and increasing employment rather than terminating positions. “Under the BJP, jobs were made permanent and employment opportunities were expanded,” he said.
Jai Ram further criticised the current government’s habit of issuing multiple notifications on various matters without any follow-through. He specifically mentioned the controversial “toilet tax” and HTC luggage tax, stating that despite multiple notifications, there has been little concrete action.
