People's Democracy

THE three years of the BJP-led government in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh have been a virtual nightmare for the people. The government’s performance is a story of total failure on every front and unbridled corruption, the allegations of which have been levelled by seven legislators of the ruling party itself. These included four ministers also, who have been dropped from the state cabinet.

Following in the footsteps of the BJP-led NDA government at the centre, the BJP in the state has crossed all limits of corruption, thus replicating the practice prevalent at the centre of "giving money (bribe) and getting your work done." Precisely because of this reason and for the economic mess created by the BJP government, it has been categorically and overwhelmingly ridiculed and severely indicted by the people.

The indictment is so grave that the ruling party got a big jolt from within. Seven members of legislative assembly (MLAs), including four ministers, came out in the open, charging the government and the BJP leadership with being neck-deep in corruption, nepotism and non-performance. These MLAs also vowed that they would not attend the assembly till the BJP leadership in the state was changed. It meant the demand of replacement of the present chief minister (Prem Kumar Dhumal) and the party incharge in Himachal (Narender Modi) each by other functionaries.

Before pondering over the issue of corruption, it would be appropriate to look at the state of affairs in the state under the BJP rule.

During its election campaign in 1998, the BJP made many promises to the people of the state --- that it would provide them with transparent administration, generate employment, tap rich resources of hydel power generation, solve the issues of kisans, workers, employees and others, etc. But in actual practice, the government has done a somersault. All sections of the society have been adversely hit by the misrule of the BJP-led combine. (The state government is a coalition government, the other partner being Himachal Vikas Congress of the former union telecom minister Sukh Ram.)

Following the central government’s agenda of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation (LPG), the BJP in Himachal has also trudged the path that is spelling misery for the common man. These policies have done nothing except putting newer burdens on the common man. User charges for water, electricity, education and so on have been tremendously hiked.

In an agreement signed with the 11th Finance Commission, the state government has also decided to "rationalise" its staff by 10 per cent per annum. Accordingly, by 2025, 75 per cent of the existing jobs would be cut. Large-scale privatisation is being carried out.

More and more private professional colleges are being given a green signal by the state government to accept huge sum of bribes. The unemployment scenario in the state has reached an alarming position. The scope and avenues have been constricted and employment is being given on chits to those close to the Sangh Parivar. Without the support of the central government, the state government is not even able to pay the salaries of the state government employees. A decision to trifurcate the state electricity board is in the offing though, thanks to the strong unity of electricity employees, that decision has been withheld for the time being. Twelve state government departments, including health, Himachal Press, electronic corporation, khadi and so on, have been converted into "self-financing" societies. This will not only throw thousands out of their jobs but is a step to close these departments or hand them over to private concerns.

It is in this background that large scale discontentment prevails amongst the people, that actually was a reason for a rebel group in the BJP to become so vociferous.

If at the centre the BJP leadership has been involved in scams pertaining to sensitive fields like the nation's security, the BJP leadership has not lagged behind in the state either.

It has been reported that all the memoranda of understanding (MOUs) in the hydel power generation are first to be cleared by Narender Modi. It is important to note that a high level of corruption involved here.

Himachal Pradesh has a rich source of hydel power generation capacity, which stands at nearly 23,000 megawatt (MW). If this resource is properly tapped, not only will it boost the economy of the state, at the same time large-scale employment avenues would also be generated. Ironically, and due to class interests of the party, the BJP does not allow the state electricity board to tap these resources. Private companies have been allowed unbridled entry in this sector too, and on this count the Dhumal government has been severely charged. First of all, the clearance is to be made by the office of Narender Modi, an extra-constitutional authority. Secondly, it has been stated even by the rebel group of the BJP that in just half an hour more than 100 proposed important hydel projects were cleared by Dhumal's office without having any discussion on the terms. The promise of providing transparent administration has been strongly violated.

Another incident of corruption pertains to the bitumen purchase scandal in the department of public works. This scandal raises an accusing finger at the former public works minister, Mohinder Singh, a strong confidante of Dhumal. It was also alleged that the office of the chief minister too was a party to it. Several lakh rupees have been siphoned off. Bitumen was purchased at a rate higher than that in the market, because of which the department lost lakhs of rupees. When an uproar was created, action was taken against the officials of the PWD and they were put under suspension, thus bailing out the minister.

In another scam, even the health of the people has been put at stake. Substandard medicines worth crores of rupees have been supplied to the government hospitals and dispensaries. It was the son of a minister in the Dhumal government who supplied these medicines. It has been brought on record that excess payments to the tune of Rs 53 lakh have been made to a fictitious Delhi-based firm.

Stressing concern over the deteriorating ecology of the state, certain areas have been marked as 'green belt' zones where construction activity can take place only upto 2 or 3 storeys. But, in actual practice, ecology has been compromised for a heavy dose of bribe. Many hoteliers, mainly hailing from Jalandhar in Punjab (where Dhumal's family is reported to be running a flourishing business) have been given a green signal. It must be mentioned that in such areas a struggle, mostly of the salaried classes who have constructed their houses there, is going on for getting their buildings regularised. But, evidently, law follows its course for the common man and not for the big bribe donors.

Another major issue is about making appointments on chits, obliging the close relatives of the ruling party politicians. The Subordinate Services Selection Board (SSSB) at Hamirpur has become a den of corruption in appointments.

In one horrific incident, an aspirant for the job paid a huge sum of bribe to one of the ministers in the state. But even then he did not get a job in the department of health and committed suicide in front of the minister’s residence.

Similarly, appointments in Himachal University have been made to favour those close to the ruling party, without even an iota of respect for merit. One such appointee is the health minister J P Nadda’s wife who does not even fulfil the required UGC guidelines. In another case, an RSS cadre who could not even clear his trained graduate test meant for teaching the high school standard, has been given appointment in the physics department, flouting all rules and guidelines.

In the famous pipe scandal a fictitious company from Calcutta has supplied pipes to the department of irrigation and Public Health, whereas it is believed that the pipes have come from Dhumal's industrial town of Jalandhar.

When it is difficult for an unemployed youth to get a loan of Rs 10,000 even on interest basis, the 'noble-intentioned’ Dhumal government has sanctioned loans to over half a dozen industrialists of the state without any interest. These include the famous Mohan Meakins (wine magnate), who have been bestowed the love and affection of the government to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore. Ironically, this interest-free loan would be given every year, for 7 consecutive years.

Just a glance at the budgetary proposals would show how the state budget has been tuned by the diktat of the monetary agencies. Whereas the state government has followed the policy of closing its public sector units, trifurcation of the state electricity board with a view to its subsequent privatisation is also in the offing.

The chicanery used by the state government, which commended its budget as a zero tax budget, is evident from the fact that user charges are going to be increased in all the areas. Thus the claim of presenting a zero tax budget becomes meaningless.

Further, non-practicing allowance, being given to the doctors both in the hospitals and animal husbandry clinics, has been withdrawn, forcing the doctors to engage in private practice and thus the patients to pay for their treatment.

It is in view of such a dismal performance that a clamour for change of the incumbent government is taking place. The CPI(M) and the mass organisations led by it have been in the forefront of campaign against the ruinous policies and non-performance of the government. On April 18, a huge demonstration of workers, kisans, youth, students and women would be organised outside the legislative assembly to force the government to roll back its anti-people policies and to resign forthwith. Preceding the rally, jathas would be taken out from 5 places in Shimla district by these mass organisations jointly. These jathas will culminate in the state level rally on April 18.