Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur Friday extended support to his cabinet colleague, Vikramaditya Singh, who triggered a war of words among ministers and bureaucrats in the state by questioning the work of officers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
He urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to speak to Vikramaditya, who hold the Public Works Department portfolio, and resolve the matter. On Tuesday, Vikramaditya, claimed that some IAS and IPS officers from outside the state are indulging in unfair distribution of public funds, and pledged to “expose” the officials at the appropriate time. He accused some officers from UP and Bihar of undermining Himachal Pradesh’s interest, claiming they were “misusing” central funds.
Speaking to mediapersons outside the Vidhan Sabha building, Thakur said, “We shouldn’t generalise the PWD minister’s statement. He is an efficient minister and I urge the CM to intervene and clear the doubts of the minister due to which such remarks were made. If we talk about negativity on the part of officers, it couldn’t be confined only to the All India Services’ officers.” He added that officers with “negative thinking” can be from anywhere in the country, including Himachal Pradesh.
Another Congress minister, however, chose to side with bureaucrats. Suresh Kumar, Congress MLA from Bhoranj, said that if a minister performs his role effectively, officers automatically function properly. Interacting with the media in Hamirpur, he said, “It is the responsibility of ministers to control and guide officers. If a minister is unable to perform this role effectively, he should introspect instead of blaming others.”
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur Friday slammed the Congress government and said that state administration is being run by a handful of powerful officers.
While, interacting with the media in Kullu, Jai Ram said, “Governments were formed to resolve public issues, but the situation in Himachal Pradesh is just the opposite. Ministers and bureaucrats are at loggerheads openly, with ministers blaming officers for non-performance and officers are not willing to listen to their political bosses. This reflects a complete erosion of the government’s authority and an atmosphere of administrative chaos.”
He added that some influential officers spend hours with the CM and are now “running the government at their fingertips. The growing discontent within the government is evident from frequent public statements made by its own ministers.”
BJP state vice-president Bihari Lal Sharma said in a statement that the recent statements have exposed the lack of coordination between Vikramaditya, Negi and Anirudh Singh.
He added that one minister makes a statement, another contradicts it, while a third advises restraint, collectively highlighting the chaotic condition of the government.
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Earlier, Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh and Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi had termed Vikramaditya’s remarks unfortunate. Anirudh had also said that a minister should know how to make officers work. Technical Education and Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani also condemned the PWD minister’s remarks and said that instead of making such statements on social media, the minister should take it up with the CM.
