Congress, BJP promoting contractor raj, says CPM

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 7

Himachal state committee of the CPM has lambasted both the ruling Congress and the BJP for promoting contractor mafia raj at the cost of common man and workers in the state.

The party reacted after three workers CITU leader Dr Kashmir Thakur, Surya Prakash Negi and Kewal Krishan Negi, who have been on hunger strike for the last five days here, were taken by the police to the IGMC for medical checkup due to some health problem today.

CPM state secretary Dr Onkar Shad said there was a growing contradiction between the needs of the people and the greed of the contractors. “It was under the pressure of the people which forced the Chief Minister to react sharply against the contractors in Rohru”.

The contractors in the state constructing hydel projects, state and national highways, government buildings and colonies have become millionaires over a period of a short span, Shad said. It became possible only by exploiting the workers like they are doing in the Shongtong-Karcham hydel project, he alleged.

The CPM stated that the reaction of the BJP president Sat Pal Satti on the issue was only political. CPM leader Dr Kuldip Tanwar also slammed the police and government for maltreating the workers who were on hunger strike as their condition was deteriorating.