Former Himachal Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal today refuted the claims of the government thatall the election promises had been implemented and said that the ground reality was "different."
Initiating the discussion of motion of thanks on Governor's address, Dhumal listed the promises made in the manifesto one by one and alleged that the promises had not been implemented in the right earnest.
He alleged that the HP State Electricity Board purchased 2.5 to 3 lakh electricity meters in 2013 which were defective and demanded an enquiry into the matter.
He said that most of the meters were found to be "defective" and about 13,000 defective meters are dumped in the store awaiting replacement by the Company which was awarded three tenders.
Intervening in the speech, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh that he was not aware of the matter and assured that an enquiry would be ordered into the matter to bring the guilty to the book.
Dhumal alleged that the economy was in a bad shape with government borrowing crossing Rs 35,000 crore mark, industries are shifting to other states or closing down, law and order was deteriorating and even the officials were not safe, Public guarantee Act was not being implement in right earnest and the claims of peaceful panchayati raj elections in the state, made in the governor's address were not true.
He claimed that 63 industries have moved out from Parvanoo while someunits includingan old industry, Malva cotton mill in Sirmaur had been shut down, rendering 2000 people joblessand the record of the government in opening new cold storages was dismal.
Referring to the plight of the farmers who were moving away from farming, Dhumal asked the government whether any survey had been conducted to ascertain that how many farmers have left agriculture due to damage caused to crops by monkeys and stray and wild animals.
Heated exchanges were witnessed in the Vidhan Sabha between Virbhadra Singh and Dhumal as the Leader of the Oppositionquoted the phrase of the Governor "Tamso ma Jyotirgmya and Asto ma Satyamagma" (take me from untruth to truth and from darkness to light) and said that he cannot become a part of thislie which the Governor had been given to read in his address."
Provoked by the remarks, Virbharda Singh asked Dhumal to "keep the Governor above controversy" and accused him of trying to twist the facts to create an impression that the government is "lying".
