Himachal CM, LoP cross swords over preparation of DPRs for opposition BJP MLAs

Shimla, Feb 4 (PTI) A day after Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that detailed project reports (DPRs) for opposition MLAs in Himachal Pradesh have not been prepared for the past two years, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday said that Rs 421 crore has been approved across the 28 Assembly segments represented by BJP legislatures.

Talking to mediapersons here, Sukhu said that in the past two years -- from January 1, 2023 till February 3, 2025 -- the state government has submitted 210 DPRs for various projects worth Rs 1,863 crore to NABARD for approval, of which 62 DPRs amounting to Rs 421 crore across the 28 Assembly constituencies have already been approved.

Most opposition MLAs have fully availed themselves of this funding, successfully reaching the maximum limit set for their respective constituencies during this period, Sukhu added.

"About 50 per cent of BJP legislators contacted me and said they wanted to attend the MLA's priorities meeting but could not do so due to the adamant attitude of Jai Ram Thakur," he claimed, adding that there are five groups in the BJP at present, and the leader of the opposition is fighting to save his seat and making excuses to not attend the meeting.

On Monday, Thakur claimed that only the priorities of the Congress MLAs close to the chief minister were being considered, while the BJP legislatures were being ignored and disrespected.

A few Congress MLAs contacted him and told him that their priorities were also been ignored, and that they were sailing in the same boat, Thakur claimed.

"For the past two years, BJP legislatures have been attending the MLA's priorities meeting but unfortunately even the process of preparing a detailed project report of their priorities has not been initiated for majority of the projects," Thakur claimed.

The meeting is a routine exercise that has been going on for more than three decades, and district-wise meetings were scheduled for February 3 and 4.

This is the first time that the main opposition party boycotted the meeting.

Meanwhile, presiding over the second day of the meetings, Sukhu on Tuesday said education and healthcare remain the core focus areas of the state government.

The chief minister held discussions with MLAs from Shimla, Mandi, Hamirpur, Una and Sirmaur districts, and urged them to provide suggestions aligned with future challenges to ensure that Himachal Pradesh becomes self-reliant.

MLAs play a key role in regional development as they have strong grassroots representation, Sukhu said, assuring that their proposals will be prioritised in the state budget, a statement issued here said.

"Education and healthcare remain the core focus areas of the present government. Over the past two years, substantial measures have been undertaken to enhance these sectors and the government is working for the further development of these two fields," Sukhu added The chief minister also alleged that the previous BJP government only prioritised the opening of new institutions for political gains without providing adequate facilities, which has led to a decline in service quality.

In contrast, the present government is actively modernising the healthcare sector by integrating advanced technologies, and addressing staff shortages through recruitment drives.

He also said the government is fostering industrial growth while preserving the natural beauty of Himachal Pradesh by implementing progressive policy reforms. PTI BPL ARI