Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today directed the Public Works authorities to complete the major works within a stipulated time-period. He said the contractor, who has been awarded the job, must ensure to complete it in a given period and if there were delay for months, it would be ensured that he was blacklisted for five years. He said any delays could not be tolerated as it escalate the cost of the projects and directly lead to waste of the public money.He was addressing a public meeting at Nirmand in district Kullu.The Chief Minister listed the strides made by the state in field of education, adding that he was ready to accept the criticism of opposition of opening the schools and colleges. "I want to ensure that all the children of the state are well qualified and well educated so that they can contribute towards Nation building", said Virbhadra Singh.He refuted the allegations of BJP that the government was on foundation stone laying spree all over the state without adequate budget. Rubbishing these allegations, he said there was enough budget in the government coffers to complete the schemes and only after due consideration and ensuring funds available, the foundation stones were being laid for development of all areas and welfare of the people.
Virbhadra Singh said he was elected four times as elected President of District Congress Committee and was nominated once by the Congress high command just a month or two before elections. It seems that Congress has forgotten the ideals and party constitution. He said that right from block level upto All India Congress Working Committees, members were earlier elected but now the party was going in a different direction. Nowadays even the Block Congress members were being nominated from PCC office, he said adding that the congress party was not a party of businessmen but of those who gave sacrifices for the independence of the Nation . The new blood should be given preference, he said, as the stagnant water emits foul smell and one bad fish can spoil the whole pond.He said his suggestion to All India Congress Committees (AICC) as well as to Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC’s) was that there was a need of change in thinking and change in working, and if any member was to be given preference he should be elected on basis of his dedicated services for the party right from Block level to District Congress Committees.
The policy of pick and choose should be avoided as it has finished the great good culture of the party.He said that two block congress committees were created out of this Constituency, one was Nirmand and other Anni. This was against the norms, he said adding that this was not acceptable at any cost, as one fine day people will start demanding a district, the two or three panchayats together will start demanding a sub tehsil or tehsil status, which is not in interest of the State as well as the party. The Chief Minister while addressing a gathering at Jagatkhana earlier announced up-gradation of government high schools Tunnan and Kushwa to senior secondary schools and a Primary Health Centre at Jagatkhana. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Nand Lal, MLA Khoob Ram, former member of Parliament Pratibha Singh, Chairman APMC, Kullu Upendarkant Mishr, Vice-Chairman, HPSIDC Atul Sharma, Chairperson, DCC (women) Geetanjali Kashyap, Member, BoD, MILKFED Kulwant Kashyap were also present on the occasion amongst others.