Dharmani strongly criticised Jai Ram for making irrelevant remarks on Bijli Mitra initiative

Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani strongly criticised Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur for making irrelevant remarks on the ‘Bijli Mitra’ initiative, conveniently forgetting that it was the BJP government under his own leadership that made appointments in the form of ‘Krishi Mitras’. Reports from that period clearly show that Krishi Mitras had repeatedly raised concerns about irregular and inadequate honorarium throughout their tenure.

Dharmani said that the previous BJP government had also engaged ‘Pashu Sakhis’, yet today Jai Ram Thakur is objecting to the ‘Bijli Mitras’, who would be employed on a regular payroll by the present government with a provision for annual enhancement of their honorarium. By doing so, he is misleading the youth, the Minister added.

He also reminded the Leader of Opposition of the Agniveer policy, under which youth serve only four years and are then sent home without job security or pension benefits. This short tenure leaves them uncertain about their future. “The BJP has played with the future of the youth of the State,” Sh. Dharmani asserted.

The Minister clarified that the Bijli Mitras will continue to serve the people of Himachal Pradesh. He said that 1,602 Bijli Upbhokta Mitras, each with the required educational qualification of matriculation along with an ITI in Electrician/Wireman trade through a regular course, will receive a fixed honorarium of Rs. 10,000 per month for six hours of duty per day. In contrast, there was no uniform educational qualification or policy for Krishi Mitras. He added that the State Government will soon formulate a comprehensive policy for Bijli Mitras.

Jai Ram is to be reminded that during his regime there was two fold increase in the number of officers, whereas as many as 11.5 thousand field posts were lying vacant where they were most needed.

Dharmani further stated that instead of fulfilling his responsibilities and raising genuine public concerns, Jai Ram Thakur prefers to remain in the media through baseless rhetoric. He pointed out that the BJP government had appointed multi-task workers in the Education, Jal Shakti and PWD departments at a meagre Rs.4,500 honorarium, which was later increased by Rs.1,000 by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s government.

“I fail to understand why, while sitting in the opposition, Jai Ram Thakur does not reflect on his own decisions that consistently jeopardised the future of the youth. There was widespread corruption in the Staff Selection Commission in Hamirpur, jobs were on sale—the list goes on,” he remarked.

“I believe Jai Ram Thakur should review his own shortcomings before raising irrelevant issues in the media,” Dharmani added.