Vikramaditya Singh accuses Himachal bureaucracy of bypassing elected representatives
The state of Himachal Pradesh is in the midst of turmoil not because of massive natural devastation but due to stiff tussles between the legislature and bureaucracy. On Saturday council of ministers in Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the son of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Mr Vikramaditya Singh accused Himachal Pradesh Bureaucracy to bypass the elected government or legislatures alleging dominating the decision taken by them.
After returning from National Capital New Delhi and meeting with BJP top brass and senior BJP ministers including Nitin Gadkari Mr Vikramaditay was in furious mode as he lashed out at the state bureaucracy in a pungent attack without naming anyone. Convening a hurried press conference at the committee hall at State Secretariat Shimla Mr Vikrmaditya Singh stated that he had high regard for the bureaucracy.
” I have the highest regard for the bureaucracy of the state. For a successful government, there has to be equal coordination between the elected government and bureaucracy,” he said in the press conference.
Not restraining his verbal attack on the bureaucracy of Himachal Pradesh he said that we are not going to tolerate the way some officers are trying to cross the Lakshman Rekha ( or threshold).
Mr Singh said that it has come to his notice from certain things that some proposals are being finalized here at (the secretariat) and all such proposals are being changed while going to Parmanoo (the gateway of State) and proposals decided by the elected government completely get changed while one reaches Delhi.
He further mentioned in very clear words that being an elected government and being elected by the people, state bureaucracy will not dictate to them how they should work or not.
He said that such instances are happening due to the dominance of bureaucracy. He would bring these facts in front of the chief minister. The Minister whole holds important portfolios like Public Works Development and youth and sports and threatens that he( we) is not going to tolerate it. ” We are there because of the people of Himachal Pradesh. We are elected from our assembly constituency and we have to raise the voice of the people of Himachal Pradesh. If some officers think that he would grab our voice by doing so we are not among those who could be grabbed.” The Council of Ministers in his early thirties challenged the state bureaucracy.
He did not stop there and further warned the state officers ” someone in the bureaucracy must not keep; this impression that what they are trying to do, would be tolerated anymore.”
Replying to a query he said that he would not elaborate on the issue in length before bringing this to the knowledge of the Chief Minister however he stated being the elected representative he would continue to work as per the will of the people of the state.
No rebuttal was issued by the state bureaucracy as the minister accused some senior officers IAS officers in the press conference so far.
