Vice-President of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, Naresh Chauhan today criticized the opposition BJP for resorting to low-level politics and shying away from discussion on achievements of the Congress government in the state in 15-month tenure.
Talking to media persons here, Naresh Chauhan emphasized the importance of public issues in polls, He said Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had taken historic decisions like providing a Minimum Support Price on milk and enhancing the MNREGA wages.
He praised the state government's efforts to sell apples on a kilogram basis, increase the minimum support price of apples enhance the infrastructure for setting up Controlled Atmosphere (CA) stores, and introduction of universal cartons for sale of apples from the next season.
The state Congress Vice President said that Himachal Pradesh had become the first state in the country to grant a monthly pension of Rs 1500 to women above 18 years of age. Additionally, 2.74 lakh women who previously received pensions ranging from Rs 1000 to 1100 are also now receiving Rs 1500 per month, he held. Chauhan criticised BJP for its indifference and inaction in the disaster in the state last year.
He said the state government ensured that the affected people get adequate relief money, but the BJP backed out in supporting the government's resolution in the Assembly urging the Centre to declare it a national disaster.
He said despite inheriting empty coffers from the previous BJP government, Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu implemented numerous welfare schemes. He denounced BJP's double engine rhetoric and said it had not done any good to the state as the previous Jai Ram government relief on. loans only.
He also alleged that recruitment papers were sold during the previous BJP regime, whereas the present Congress government cracked down on corruption and safeguarded the future of the youth.
Chauhan said the ten-year tenure of the BJP-led government in the Centre had been disappointing.
"Now BJP leaders in the Centre are focussing on the politics of religion and caste in Lok Sabha polls rather than addressing real issues like inflation, unemployment and women's safety. They are trying to divert the attention of people from real issues affecting them," he said.
The Congress leader said the gap between the rich and the poor had widened in the last ten years, which was a bad indicator for the country.
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