Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India]: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday accused the state government of evading its responsibilities and blaming the Union government for its shortcomings during the recent monsoon disaster.
A cloudburst that occurred on Thursday, August 1, wreaked havoc in various parts of the state, leading to significant loss of life and property.
Relief and rescue operations are ongoing, but the BJP claims the state government was unprepared for the disaster and has failed to provide timely assistance to affected citizens.
The Himachal BJP spokesperson and MLA Randhir Sharma took a strong stance against the current Congress government.
Speaking to media, Sharma said, “The government is trying to blame the Union government for their wrong deeds and is trying to avoid their responsibilities. There has been a huge loss of water supply and electricity supply in the region. The BJP is with the people of the state; we are trying to support the government. Our leaders, including Jai Ram Thakur ji, appeal to the state government to speed up relief and restoration efforts. We need to check and find out the reasons, get prepared for disaster, and do scientific development.”
Sharma further criticised the state government for not sending a disaster report to the Union government, which could have facilitated help from the centre.
“The Chief Minister is playing politics in the name of disaster. The state government has not sent any report of disaster to the Union government. They would get help from the centre, but they are trying to blame the Union government for their wrongdoing and evade their responsibilities,” Sharma added.
On the suspension of the Himcare health scheme from private hospitals, Sharma said the government has failed to fulfil its promises to the people.
“To stop the Himcare scheme is not good. This government has failed to fulfil their guarantees. They have closed over 1,000 institutions and now have stopped this important scheme. If you feel any irregularities are there, you should enquire, but stopping a scheme of public health is not good,” he said.
Sharma emphasised that the BJP stands with the state government during this crisis and highlighted the active support provided by BJP state president Rajiv Bindal, former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, and other BJP leaders to the disaster-affected people, providing first aid, and offering consolation.
Sharma expressed that while the BJP does not want to politicise the disaster, the state government’s slow response is concerning.
“The current Congress government is continuously making anti-people decisions. They promised 300 units of free electricity but even took away the existing 125 units of free electricity from the people.
Under the Himcare scheme, 149 private hospitals were registered following the rules and procedures. If private hospitals have done anything wrong, then the government should investigate and punish the culprits.
It is not easy for every patient to reach a government hospital, and this facility was given to private hospitals for a reason. The state government should remove the irregularities and reinstate the Himcare scheme for private hospitals,” Sharma urged.