Shimla: The opposition BJP yesterday staged a walkout in Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha to protest against "in action on part of the government" against the youth Congress workers who allegedly attack the party office on January 29 last.
Raising the issue through a point of order immediately after the question hour, Suresh Bharadwaj (BJP) said that the government was not even investigating the issue.
While the Speaker told the BJP members not to raise the same issue time and again, stating that the matter was sub-judice, the BJP members said the matter was not sub-judice but the government was not inclined to take action against the culprits.
The BJP members alleged that the state government had not taken any action against the culprits involved in the incident in which one BJP leader suffered irreparable loss to his eye and staged a walkout.
Accusing the BJP members of forcing a non-issue, chief minister Virbhadra Singh said that an enquiry has been ordered and investigations are in progress and they should wait for the report first.
Earlier, Bhardwaj raised the issue of chief minister's remark in the assembly on March 31, where in Singh had commented that the BJP members were non-serious (on their walk out) and they should not be entitled to get Daily Allowance.
The BJP members said the chief minister had denied having made such remark yesterday, but it was recorded in the proceedings.
On this, the CM withdrew the remark.
Earlier replying to a question by BJP members, chief minister said that out of 16 new degree colleges notified in HP during the present Congress regime, 14 had started functioning last year and the remaining two colleges would be made functional from ensuing academic session (2015-16).
He said all these colleges were opened in the interior areas of the state, immensely benefitting the girl students and a budget of Rs 5-crore was provided for each new college.
He said while some teachers had been posted in these colleges, the government had given requisition to the HP Public Service Commission for selection of teachers (college cadre) against 248 posts to fill up vacancies.
He claimed that the previous BJP government had notified some colleges on the eve of assembly elections in 2012 without making any provision of budget, infrastructure and staff.
He said the Congress government had cancelled those notifications and later notified colleges, including some of the colleges notified earlier by BJP government with proper budget allocation and staff.
Jai Ram Thakur (BJP) alleged that the Congress government had deliberately cancelled the notifications for opening new colleges issued by previous BJP government just to take the credit.
When the BJP members sought details of enrolment of students in the new colleges, chief minister said that a large number of students, especially the girls have taken admissions in new colleges in far off and interior areas.
In a written reply to another question, Singh said eleven out of 22 state Public Sector Undertakings were in perpetual red and their cumulative losses stood at Rs 302.10 crore as on March 31, 2014.
They continue to drain fund-starved government with their cumulative losses standing at Rs 3,02,104.48 lakh till March 31, 2014.
He said that Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, with over 25,000 employees, topped the list of loss-making PSUs with a cumulative loss of Rs 1813.23 crore, followed by Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation, Rs 847 66 crore.
Surprisingly, the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation had cumulative losses of Rs 23.34 crore, he said.
The Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC), which is mainly marketing apple juice concentrate, has incurred losses of Rs 70.42 crore while the State Forest Corporation and State Handloom and Handicraft Corporation suffered losses to the tune of Rs 48.65 crore and Rs 17.55 crore respectively.
In another written reply, the chief minister informed the House that 20 violators had been challaned in Himachal Pradesh this year for unauthorisedly using red and blue beacon vehicles.
