Three HP ministers assail Virbhadra's statement

Shimla, Apr 9 (UNI) Three Cabinet Ministers in the Prem Kumar Dhumal government today expressed dismay over former chief minister Virbhadra Singh's yesterday's statement on the BJP government completing 100 days in office and said ''these were the blurtings of a person being ignored by his own party''.

''Mr Singh is making these statements out of frustration as the bold and innovative decisions of the BJP government during the first 100 days have exposed him,'' State Education Minister I D Dhiman, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Sarveen Chaudhary and Forest Minister JP Nadda said in a joint press release here.

They said the previous Congress government had failed to safeguard the interests of the state during their tenure and the reduction in the Central industrial package was a proof of that.

''While the previous government increased the wages of daily worker by Rs 15 only, the new BJP government increased their wages to Rs 100 on the first day it was sworn in,'' they said.

''Similarly, the new government hiked the social security pension by 50 per cent to Rs 300 from Rs 200, while the Congress government did not increase a single paise in its five-year tenure.'' Ms Chaudhary, Mr Nadda and Mr Dhiman said besides the previous government had not made a provision for providing cheap ration to the people of the state and the BJP government made a provision for it in the Supplementary Budget.

The BJP government was also successful in getting two IRB Battalions for the state, besides an all women battalion, they said and added that it had also reserved 50 per cent seats in panchayats and urban bodies for women.

The previous government also failed in providing employment to the youth of the state and filled only 3,386 posts in health, PWD and IPH departments, they added.

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