Shimla
Shimla: Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Jairam Thakur has questioned the state government’s decision to withdraw the Disaster Act after six months, alleging that the move was taken despite rehabilitation and restoration works remaining incomplete in many parts of the state.
In a press statement issued from Shimla, Thakur criticised the government led by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, claiming that the government’s main achievement during the disaster period was celebrating events rather than focusing on relief. He alleged that around ₹10 crore was spent on celebrations while relief work was ignored.
Thakur asked the government whether rehabilitation and restoration work in disaster-affected areas had been fully completed, which prompted the decision to withdraw the Disaster Act. He also sought details of how much money had actually been spent on relief for affected people and what impact it had on the ground.
Referring to the current situation in several parts of Himachal Pradesh, the opposition leader said conditions remain largely unchanged. He said debris is still lying on roads and hundreds of bus routes have remained closed for the past eight months, causing inconvenience to the public.
He added that several bridges damaged during the disaster have only been restored temporarily and are suitable only for light vehicles. According to him, no concrete steps have been taken for permanent reconstruction to support heavy transport, which could again create problems during the upcoming monsoon season.
Thakur also raised concerns about drinking water schemes, saying many of them have not yet been fully restored, leading to water shortages in rural areas. He further alleged that electricity infrastructure in several affected areas is yet to be repaired, with poles and transformers still not installed.
The opposition leader questioned why the Disaster Act had been imposed in the first place if restoration and development work had not been completed during the extended period. He alleged that the government used the Act mainly to delay panchayat elections and halt development work across the state.
Thakur also claimed that the chief minister and his ministers spent the last two months criticising the central government instead of focusing on governance. He alleged that the state government was intentionally delaying elections to slow development and prevent central funds from reaching panchayats.
He said that if panchayat elections had been held on time, local-level development work could have continued smoothly. Thakur recalled that the chief minister had announced the imposition of the Disaster Act in the state assembly on September 1, but it was implemented only in October.
According to him, keeping the Disaster Act in force for such a long period only stalled development activities, while the government used funds meant for development to meet other expenditures. Thakur warned that people in the state feel cheated by the government’s functioning and would respond in the coming time.
