Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has now provided clarity on the long-standing speculations regarding the Panchayat elections in Himachal Pradesh. During a media interaction in Shimla, the Chief Minister stated that Panchayat elections in the state will be held on time, and the government will fully cooperate with the Election Commission.
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has clarified the government's stance on Panchayat elections in Shimla. He stated that Panchayat elections in the state will take place on time, and the government will provide full cooperation to the Election Commission. This statement puts an end to the ongoing speculations regarding the elections. Speaking to the media in Shimla, CM Sukhu said that the election process is underway and the elections will be completed on schedule. Regarding the organization, he also mentioned that all necessary procedures will be completed soon to ensure that the elections are conducted smoothly and transparently.
CM's Statement on Election Process
Chief Minister Sukhu stated that the process for conducting Panchayat elections is fully active. However, the Disaster Act is currently in force in the state. The government's primary responsibility is to deliver relief to disaster-affected areas and to complete the work of opening Panchayat roads first. He clarified that as soon as roads in all Panchayats are restored and relief reaches the disaster-affected families, the election dates will be announced.
The Chief Minister informed that a special program will be organized in Mandi district on November 10. Under this program, financial assistance will be provided to disaster-affected families for house construction. An initial installment of four lakh rupees will be given, with a total of seven lakh rupees provided for housing construction. This step reflects the state government's priority to provide primary relief to disaster victims before the Panchayat elections.
Update on Congress Organizational Formation
Sukhu also shared significant information regarding the formation of the Congress organization. There had been uncertainty surrounding the formation of the Congress organization for about a year, but the Chief Minister stated that the entire process would be completed within a week. This appears to put an end to the ongoing discussions about the formation of the Congress organization. In Himachal Pradesh, a project worth 1,422 crore rupees has been approved with the assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to strengthen healthcare facilities.
Chief Minister Sukhu said that some BJP leaders are trying to falsely claim credit for this, while Himachal Pradesh holds a 28% share in the JICA project. He stated that if this project belonged to the central government, former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur could have approved it, but no improvement was made to the state's health infrastructure during his five-year tenure.
