bindal-accuses-congress-govt-of-failing-unemployed-youth

Himachal Pradesh BJP president Rajiv Bindal on Monday accused the Congress government of failing to keep its employment promises. He also alleged that higher taxes, utility charges and other fees had increased the financial pressure on ordinary people.

 

Speaking to reporters after a joint meeting of the BJP’s 25 organisational cells at the party headquarters, Deep Kamal Chakkar, Bindal said the party had started preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections. He said the BJP was strengthening its organisation from the booth level while reaching out to different social and professional groups through its cells.

 

Bindal claimed that around one lakh government posts were vacant in Himachal Pradesh. He alleged that the Congress had failed to honour its 2022 election promise of providing one lakh government jobs.

 

“During the 2022 elections, Congress made employment a major issue and promised one lakh government jobs. It had also promised to provide these jobs in the first Cabinet meeting and make them regular and permanent. Four years have passed, but for unemployed youth, this promise has turned into a betrayal,” Bindal said.

 

Referring to the vacancies mentioned during the 2022 campaign, Bindal said the situation had become worse. He claimed that the number of vacant posts had increased as employees retired over the past four years.

 

He said around 40,000 additional posts may have become vacant due to retirements during this period. He alleged that many departments were functioning with contractual staff while unemployed youth were left frustrated and uncertain about their future.

 

Bindal said growing resentment among unemployed youth was becoming increasingly visible. He said the BJP would strongly raise the issue as part of its campaign for the 2027 elections. He also criticised the economic policies of the Sukhu government and claimed that the cost of living had risen sharply for the common man.

Bindal said repeated increases in taxes and duties on petrol and diesel had added to the financial burden on consumers.

 

“The government should have focused on increasing people's income and reducing their expenses. Instead, incomes have not increased enough, while household expenditure has gone up considerably,” he said.

 

Bindal alleged that the government had raised taxes on cement, making the material more expensive despite Himachal Pradesh being a major cement-producing state.

 

He also objected to higher government fees and duties. He claimed that students, small traders and ordinary citizens were now paying more for official documents and government services.

 

On the public distribution system, Bindal alleged that changes in the ration-lifting system had created difficulties for beneficiaries. He also claimed that prices of pulses, edible oil, rice and flour had risen significantly.

 

He criticised the increase in HRTC fares, saying commuters who earlier spent around Rs 30 a day could now be paying nearly Rs 100 in some cases. He also alleged that the closure of several bus routes had forced rural residents to depend more on taxis and private vehicles.

 

Bindal further claimed that electricity and water had become costlier. He said changes in subsidies had added to the financial burden on households. He also criticised the healthcare system, alleging that patients were paying more for tests, investigations, registration and medicines. He said the closure or weakening of the Himcare scheme had particularly affected poor families.

“The poor used to go to hospitals with a Himcare card and receive treatment. Today, the financial burden on families has increased. Electricity is costly, water is costly and healthcare has also become more expensive,” he said.

 

Bindal questioned the government’s spending priorities and alleged that development work had slowed despite increased collections from citizens.

 

“Where has the money collected from the pockets of poor and ordinary people gone?” he asked. He alleged that several development projects and the opening of new educational institutions had been affected.

 

He further claimed that recruitment had slowed, vacancies had increased and retired employees were facing difficulties in receiving various benefits.

 

Bindal claimed that the Congress government had borrowed around Rs 45,000 crore so far. He alleged that continued borrowing at the current pace could push the state’s total debt to around Rs 60,000 crore by the end of the government’s term. He said the BJP would continue to raise issues such as unemployment, taxation, closure of institutions, alleged corruption, nepotism and what he described as “mafia raj” in the state.

Bindal said the BJP had already begun preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections and was strengthening its organisation from the booth level upwards.

 

“The BJP is preparing from the booth to the state level. Our aim is to take the party’s policies, ideology and programmes to every section of society and bring different social groups into the organisational fold,” he said.

 

He said the BJP’s 25 cells would be an important part of this strategy. These include cells dealing with legal affairs, sports, tourism, Dev Samaj, transport, elections and other professional and social sectors.

 

Bindal said each cell should act as a link between the party organisation and the section of society it represents. “Every cell has expertise in its respective field. Its work should not be limited to organisational programmes. It should study issues related to its sector, understand people’s concerns and bring them before the organisation,” he said.

He also asked the cells to take the policies and welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi-led Central government to their respective constituencies and maintain regular public contact throughout the year.

 

“The BJP is not an organisation that becomes active only during elections. It works among people 365 days a year,” Bindal said. He called on the cells to expand their activities to district and mandal levels. He also asked them to hold meetings, outreach programmes and public-contact drives.

Bindal also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his reported remarks about RSS workers in educational institutions. He said Gandhi’s remarks, along with comments by the state Education Minister about recruitment during the previous government, raised questions about the Congress government’s approach towards educational institutions.

Bindal also attacked Gandhi over his remarks concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his reported comments on Vande Mataram. “The language used against the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves condemnation. Even the word ‘condemnation’ is too mild for the language that was used,” he said.

Responding to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s statement that there had been no paper leak under the Congress government, Bindal questioned the basis of the claim. He alleged that students had been preparing for competitive examinations for three to four years, but examinations for several posts had not even been held.

“How can there be a paper leak when the examination itself has not been conducted?” Bindal asked. He also alleged that “backdoor entries” were being made in recruitment. Referring to a minister’s statement that around 700 people had been recruited, he sought greater transparency in the process.

 

“If 700 people have been recruited, how many of them were selected through interviews, written examinations or any competitive process?” he asked.
The joint meeting was held at Deep Kamal, the BJP’s state headquarters in Shimla. State convenors and co-convenors of all 25 BJP cells attended the meeting.

 

State convenor Purushottam Guleria and co-convenor Rajpal Singh were also present.