Palampur, May 14, 2026
BJP State Vice President and MLA Vipin Parmar launched a sharp attack on the Congress government and the Congress-led Palampur Municipal Corporation ahead of the Municipal Corporation elections, stating that the civic body has become a symbol of corruption, administrative failure, negligence and betrayal of public trust. He said BJP has brought before the people the complete truth of Congress misgovernance over the last two-and-a-half years.
Vipin Parmar alleged that the Congress-led Municipal Corporation has become a hub of corruption and financial irregularities. He claimed that a weighing machine worth nearly ₹20 lakh was sold as scrap for only ₹50,000. He further stated that 22 public toilets built at a cost of around ₹14 lakh are still non-functional, while nearly 80 percent of the city’s solar lights remain out of order.
He said that the ₹127 crore sewerage project approved by the Central Government and 432 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana have remained incomplete even after several years, clearly reflecting administrative negligence and misuse of public funds.
Vipin Parmar said that the Congress government has completely weakened healthcare services in Palampur. He stated that the Palampur Civil Hospital is overcrowded, with only 100 beds available despite the requirement for at least 200 beds. Nearly 700,000 people depend on this hospital for treatment, but medical facilities continue to deteriorate. He added that OPD slips, which were previously free, now cost ₹10, and several medical tests that were once free now require payment, increasing the burden on ordinary citizens.
He further stated that areas such as Ward No. 1 (Lohna), Ward No. 9 (Chowki) and Ward No. 15 (Holta) do not even have a single dispensary, forcing residents to travel long distances even for basic medical treatment. Many primary healthcare centres have effectively turned into referral centres due to the shortage of doctors, medicines and emergency facilities.
Vipin Parmar alleged that some Congress councillors are themselves functioning like contractors in Municipal Corporation works, raising serious concerns about transparency and misuse of official positions. He said many promises made to the public during elections still remain unfulfilled.
He said Congress had promised free door-to-door garbage collection during the 2021 elections, but residents are still being charged for waste collection services. Households are being charged ₹50 and small shops up to ₹350, proving that yet another Congress promise has failed.
Vipin Parmar pointed out that in December 2023, the District Consumer Commission directed the Palampur Municipal Corporation to pay compensation exceeding ₹25,000 to a resident whose water connection was illegally disconnected. The Commission also ordered restoration of water supply and daily compensation of ₹100 until reconnection. He said this exposed the arbitrary and irresponsible functioning of the civic body.
He further said that Congress had promised parking facilities in every ward and a multi-storey parking near the main market in its 2021 manifesto, but people continued to suffer from severe traffic congestion and parking problems for over four-and-a-half years. He alleged that work on the project was started only just before elections to mislead the public.
Vipin Parmar stated that poor planning and wasteful expenditure have become common under the Congress-led Municipal Corporation. In several places, newly constructed roads were dug up again shortly afterward for sewerage works, clearly exposing administrative inefficiency and lack of coordination.
He alleged that a major land scam surfaced during the Congress government’s tenure in Palampur, where approximately 101 kanal of land was illegally transferred with the alleged involvement of revenue officials. As a result, nearly 20 families who had been residing there for around 80 years faced the threat of displacement.
Vipin Parmar further alleged that fertile agricultural and crop research land was attempted to be diverted for a tourism project, which faced strong opposition from teachers and local residents. He said both the High Court and Supreme Court later intervened against the government’s decision, reinforcing public perception that government land was being used to benefit select individuals.
He said the Palampur Municipal Corporation has failed even to repair several key roads in the city. Roads connecting Ghuggar to Neugal, Neugal Café to SSB Chowk, Labana Basti and the Panchayat Bhawan area remain damaged, narrow and neglected, causing major inconvenience to residents and tourists alike.
Vipin Parmar said that Ward No. 15 (Holta) and several other areas continue to suffer from a severe lack of basic amenities. Around 150 families in the Bharmaat area still do not have proper drinking water arrangements or even a functional hand pump. Residents of Ward No. 7 (Vrindavan) and Ward No. 8 (Khlet) are paying higher taxes after inclusion in the Municipal Corporation but are not receiving corresponding civic facilities.
He also alleged that drug and alcohol-related activities near Bindravan School have increased, but no effective action has been taken by the administration. Waterlogging, damaged roads and sewerage issues continue to trouble residents in several areas.
Vipin Parmar said that in June 2024, the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau found the Municipal Commissioner, Planning Officer and Junior Engineer guilty of approving illegal buildings in violation of rules. He alleged that illegal constructions were encouraged under political protection from the Congress government.
He concluded by stating that the Congress government has given the people of Palampur nothing except false promises, corruption and administrative chaos, whereas BJP is approaching the people with the agenda of development, transparency and public welfare. Vipin Parmar expressed confidence that the people of Palampur would vote Congress out of the Municipal Corporation and strongly support BJP in the upcoming elections.
