On the Himachal Pradesh Congress government completing its' two years of rule, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, submitted a memorandum to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, exposing the alleged 18 scams and "black deeds" of the grand old party dispensation in the hill state.
The 106-page memo, which BJP named 'kachcha chittha', holds the Congress government responsible for establishing a mafia raj and making anti-people decisions.
The document was presented to the governor by Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and state BJP chief Rajiv Bindal.
The BJP also claimed that the two-year rule of the Congress would go down as a "black chapter" in the history of Himachal.
The "corrupt" government headed by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu brought the state to the brink of bankruptcy by benefiting the "friends" and indulging in wasteful expenditure and financial mismanagement, the BJP said.
Mafia Raj was established in the state due to protection given by the government to mining, drugs, liquor, land, and garbage mafias while people suffered due to its wrong decisions, it alleged.
The Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) favoured a hydropower company that failed to complete a project. Instead of imposing a fine on the company for the delay, it was given a second extension of about five years while the cost for the work was increased from Rs 150 crore to Rs 288 crore, the BJP leaders alleged in the memorandum.
They pointed out that an official in the CMO had sent an anonymous letter alleging corruption in the CMO.
The memorandum also alleged a scam in the auction of liquor vends and said five to 11 units were clubbed into one unit to benefit some contractors and irregularities in auctions were also noticed.
The BJP also alleged the involvement of some people close to the chief minister in the land scam and said that three persons purchased 70 kanal of land for Rs 2.60 lakh and the same was sold to Himachal Road Transport Corporation for Rs 6.77 crore. The party also mentioned irregularities in some other land deals.
According to the BJP's memorandum, illegal mining is rampant in border areas of Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, Solan, and Sirmaur. It also claimed that the Enforcement Directorate arrested two persons, allegedly close to the CM, in this connection.
Other allegations included the issue of a licence to cut trees of nine spices to favoured contractors, selling properties of Tourism Corporation, attachment of Himachal Bhawan, New Delhi for non-payment of dues of a hydropower company, and appointment of tainted officers on key posts.
Accusing the government of not implementing the poll 'guarantees', the BJP document said that Old Pension Scheme has not been fully implemented while promises to give Rs 1,500 per month to women aged 18-59 years have not been fulfilled.
The other poll promises of the Congress like purchasing cow and buffalo milk at Rs 80 and Rs 100 per litre, five lakh jobs in five years, and purchasing cow dung at Rs 2 per kg are yet to be implemented, the BJP said.
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