Gear up for Assembly poll: Dhumal to workers

Our Correspondent

Chamba, July 10

Former Chief Minister Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal has predicted mid-term Assembly elections this year. He has urged BJP workers to gear up for the ensuing elections claiming that the BJP would be voted to power.

Addressing mediapersons at the local circuit house today, Dhumal claimed that there was a ‘mafia raj’ in the state and corruption was rampant everywhere. He alleged that forest mafia, land mafia, mining mafia and transfer mafia were thriving in the state.

Dhumal claimed that 1,800 trees, which included more than 1,400 green trees, had been felled in the constituency of the Forest Minister. A many as 150 green trees had also been felled in Kataula area, while about 400 trees had been felled in the Shimla area, he pointed out. “No action appears to have been taken on the report of the inquiry committee so far,” Dhumal said.

Dhumal slammed the Congress for its “failure in providing” better roads network, health and education. “The roads are full of potholes and badly damaged in various parts of the state, hospitals are devoid of doctors and specialists. Schools are running without teachers,” he said.

Private universities opened during the previous BJP regime, which was the target of criticism of the Congress, had topped in ranks of quality education in the country, Dhumal said.

He advised Congress ministers to desist from “misleading propaganda” and do some constructive for the welfare of the people. He described the present Congress government as a “government of announcements”.

On the achievements of the Modi government during its two-year term, Dhumal claimed that the government had sanctioned 56 national highways in the state in a short stint of rule while the Congress could hardly approve four national highways during its long tenure. “Crores of rupees are being spent on the railway network in the state by the Modi government,” he said.