ANIL KUMAR
Ghumarwin: Former Food and Civil Supplies Minister and senior BJP leader Rajendra Garg accused the Congress government of misleading the people of Himachal Pradesh, saying every section of society was distressed under the Sukhu administration and that favouritism had reached its peak. He was addressing a press conference held in Ghumarwin.
Garg alleged that the government had failed to honour promises made to women during the elections. He said the Chief Minister had assured a monthly allowance of ₹1,500 for women, yet no beneficiary had received the amount so far. He said women employees had also been subjected to transfers to remote areas, forcing many to approach the courts.
Referring to the recent BPL survey, Garg said nearly 90% of poor families had been removed from the BPL list, causing the maximum hardship to women. He added that women between the ages of 18 and 60 were misled for votes, and those engaged in dairy farming and agriculture were still waiting for the promised support.
Garg said women working under MGNREGA and in the unorganised sector had not received any benefits for the last 30 months. The functioning of the Labour Welfare Board, he said, had severely affected women workers, whose children were no longer receiving scholarships. He added that maternity assistance, the ₹51,000 support for a daughter’s marriage, and medical assistance ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹4 lakh had all stopped under the present government.
Claiming that the Labour Welfare Board had been a strong support system for poor working women, Garg said the Congress government had taken away even that.
He also criticised the state government for increasing travel allowances for ministers amid financial stress. He said the state was facing rising debt, delayed payments, and restrictions on expenditure, yet the government had raised the travel allowance from ₹18 to ₹25 per kilometre and the daily allowance from ₹1,800 to ₹2,500. This amendment, brought under the Himachal Pradesh Ministers’ Salaries and Allowances Act, 2000, will now be known as the Himachal Pradesh Ministers’ Travelling Allowance (Amendment) Rules, 2025.
Garg noted that the proposal had been approved in 2024 but deferred due to financial constraints. He said the recent increase in allowances for MLAs, ministers, and presiding officers—amounting to nearly 24%—along with the latest hike, would impose an additional annual burden of over ₹25 crore on the state exchequer. He termed the decision insensitive at a time when departments were being urged to reduce spending, and payments of bills, salaries, pensions, and GPF withdrawals were facing delays.
He said that while the government claimed the revision was long overdue, the timing was inappropriate and against public sentiment. He questioned the utilisation of crores collected as labour cess and warned that the Congress government would have to face the consequences, as poor working women would never forgive it for withdrawing welfare benefits that once helped them become self-reliant.