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Even after enrolling 18-lakh members in Himachal, the BJP’s strong desire for adding more members is not satisfied. The party has extended the membership drive by 10 days. The volume of membership is gigantic for the small hill state with population of 70 lakhs and 52-lakh plus voters and process of adding more members is on.”It appears that the BJP would not require any campaigning in the future elections and its members and their families would be enough to win the polls”, said veteran party leaders adding that the party should be cautious about members enrolled through “missed calls”.
Congress in a dilemma over Art 370
After suffering “blow after blow”, the Himachal Pradesh Congress seemed to have gone into a “hiding”. There was no reaction from the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Kuldeep Rathore over scrapping of Article 370 by the Centre. The HPCC talked of launching Save Himachal campaign against the state BJP government on the 113th birth anniversary of Dr YS Parmar, the founder-CM of Himachal, who had enacted the section 118 in the HP Land Tenancy and Land Reforms Act. But nothing has happened on the ground, revealed Congress workers. “Nobody knows what to do as the Congress at the Centre is in a disarray and a divided house”, they added. It seems the confusion and organizational mess will continue till some leader of substance takes over the party high command, they said.
Kangra patwari ‘too powerful’
The transfer of a patwari (lowest rung revenue official) in Kangra district has become an embarrassment for senior bureaucrats of the district and an elected representative in the state government. Senior bureaucrats and an MLA had been trying to get a patwari transferred from his area on the plea that he was creating trouble for common people. However, the patwari prevailed and got his transferred cancelled from the CM office. “We are helpless”, said a senior bureaucrat. The case has brought to the fore strong nexus that the lowest rung revenue officials have with those in power just because they control the revenue papers and land deals.
Utter neglect of ambulances
The significance accorded to the health services provided to a common man in the state can be gauged from the upkeep of its ambulances. While crores are spent on purchasing new vehicles for the politicians as well as the officials every year, absence of adequate funds to keep these emergency vehicles functional has defeated their very purpose. It was appalling to note that an ambulance carrying an ailing patient to the PGI, Chandigarh, had a non- functional honking system making it difficult for the driver to wade through the kilometers long traffic jam near Kumarhatti. The attendants of the patient were forced to alight from the vehicle and appeal to the motorists to make way for the vehicle. Wonder what it will take to open the eyes of the authorities who had conveniently turned a blind eye to such important issues.