BJP to launch signature campaign against closure of institutions, offices in HP

Shimla, Jan 23 (PTI) The BJP would launch a signature campaign at all the places where the Himachal Pradesh government has shut down offices and institutions opened by the previous government, the party's chief spokesman Randhir Sharma said on Monday.

The protest rallies will be held from February 15 to February 28, he said.

The decision was taken at the meeting of the state BJP Legislature Party held under the chairmanship of Jai Ram Thakur.

"The Congress government started issuing Tuglaki Farman (dictatorial edicts) from day one and closed 619 institutions and the BJP would start a signature campaign at all the places where institutions have been closed from January 25 to February 15 and hold protest rallies at all district headquarters from February 15 to February 28, he said in a statement.

In December last year, the then newly-elected state government de-notified several institutes, including educational, primary and community health centres and revenue offices among others, opened by the Jai Ram Thakur-led government, citing that they were set up without any budgetary provision and adequate infrastructure.

Accusing the government of indulging in wasteful expenditure, Sharma said that after appointing a deputy chief minister, six Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and other appointments with cabinet rank were also appointed, putting an additional burden on the state exchequer.

All decisions of the state government which are not in the public interest would be opposed with full might by the BJP and there would be no compromise with corruption, Thakur, the leader of the opposition (LOP) in Vidhan Sabha said.

Thakur who assumed the office of LOP in Vidhan Sabha said the people had great expectations from the new government but it has not made a good start and belied the hopes that the BJP would stop the "band express" (closure express) of the government with full strength.

He counselled the government to generate resources for implementing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and refrain from resorting to the closure of institutions and fuelling inflation.

Taking a strong exception to the move of the government to rename the continuing schemes, Thakur said the Atal Day School scheme launched by the BJP government is being renamed after Rajiv Gandhi which is not a healthy tradition.

Criticising the government for increasing the rate of diesel, the former chief minister said it would lead to a rise in prices and hit the poor people who have voted for Congress. PTI BPL RDT