HP assembly budget session: BJP, Congress spar over mining lease
HP assembly speaker, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, said “The facts that LoP had brought to notice he was referring to the question while CM referred to the discussion on budget. I will see the record of both the subjects and where ever correction is needed that will be done”
The MLAs from the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) exchanged arguments over mining lease in Nalagarh during the ongoing budget session of the state assembly.
Raising the issue under point of order, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, accused Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government of misleading the House by presenting wrong facts.
Thakur said that the chief minister (CM) is now misleading the House by manipulating the figures. He alleged that the officers are working in a cunning manner and twisting the facts.”
Thakur said in response to a question asked by an MLA of Congress party, the government told the House that the BJP gave a lease of 3,000 bighas for mining. “Which is a blatant lie. The House has been deliberately misled by the Chief Minister and the officials. All the mining leases mentioned by the Chief Minister have been given to the people by the previous Congress government,” he said.
“Even in the present Sukhu government, the CM has given a mining lease of 600 bighas to the family of one of his MLAs. This government is unable to see anything beyond its friends and MLAs and is making shameful and false allegations against the opposition.”
Retorting, CM Sukhu said, “Opposition has been raising issue of mining mafia but as per records, BJP renewed lease for 3,000 bigha. To keep the menace under check, you should not have renewed the lease.”
He added, “We are keeping the files of renewal pending.”
Intervening, Assembly speaker, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, said “The facts that LoP had brought to notice he was referring to the question while CM referred to the discussion on budget. I will see the record of both the subjects and where ever correction is needed that will be done.”
Speaker requested the members, “whoever speaks on any issue he had to refer to the issue genuinely not out of proportions.”
Jai Ram Thakur, while talking to media later, said, “The CM lied in the Assembly, so I informed the House about the truth through a point of order. It is a matter of shame to mislead the House in this manner.”
“The way illegal mining is happening in the state has never happened till date. Mining mafias have dug up the mountains. The path of rivers is changing. The existence of big bridges and roads is under threat. Mining is happening within 100m of the SP office in BBN but no action is being taken against them,” said Thakur in a statement issued after session. “This government cannot hide its failures by repeatedly making false allegations against the opposition.”
“The officers just to prove the opposition guilty by manipulating the figures in the House. I want to tell the officers that they should work according to their service rules,” he added.
