ZERO TOLERANCE ON CORRUPTION WOULD BE THE MAIN HIMACHAL ELECTION PLANK OF BJP – SHANTA KUMAR

By: S R Pundir

NAHAN: Former Union Minister and All India Vice President of BJP Mr. Shanta Kumar in a press conference in the Circuit House here today once again ragged Chief Minister Mr. Vir Bhadra Singh on the issue of corruption. He dared Chief Minister to file a case against him and order a CBI inquiry into the CD and missing bag of 1.15 crores from CM’s office, if charges of corruption against him leveled by the BJP were not true.

Shanta Kumar announced that ‘zero tolerance on corruption’ would be the main election plank of BJP in the forth coming assembly elections in the state. He alleged that at this point of time pace of development had slowed down to its lowest level, prices of essential commodities were going up, relief of government welfare schemes were not reaching to the desired persons and state was plunged in to the heavy debts only due to heavy corruption in the ruling party at every level.

BJP leader charged that due to lack of vision Congress government failed to give the due benefit of the Industrial package to the state and its people. Only some land sharks including some ministers got crores from this package and major part of Himachal Pradesh did not get any industry in this package. Industries were allowed to a few over crowded places like Baddi on the inter state boarder denying its benefits to the people of state and creating a law and order problem in these areas.

Commenting on the construction of mini hydle power plants he said that no efforts to save environment were taken up by the government. Alone in Dhaula Dhar range project manufacturing companies were allowed to uproot thousands of trees and similar complaints were pouring in from the various parts of state which was a matter of concern for the residents of the state. He charged that Union government during the NDA regime had announced subsidy and bank loan facility with margin money for the unemployment youth to under take construction of mini hydle power plants but state government had totally failed to provide this benefit to the unemployed youth of the state and mini projects were allotted to the out siders.

He said that his party was ready to face the assembly elections in the month of November this year. Replying to a question he charged that financial health of the state was very bad he attributed this to the financial mismanagement of the Congress party. He alleged that the state was plunged in the debt.