Despite terming the chargesheet of BJP brought against the State Government as trash, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday said that his Government is examining all the charges leveled against the Ministers as its duty.
“It is a poor attempt on the part of BJP, to divert the attention of the public from the chargesheet of Congress which is being investigated by different departments and several opposition leaders have come under scanner,” said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. He added that though it seems that chargesheet of the BJP has been made in a hurry but Government as its duty will certainly examine the charges leveled against different Ministers in the chargesheet which was submitted to Governor Urmilla Singh on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day at a function at Governor House, CM said that BJP has started a new trend, a political party brought chargesheet against one year rule of the incumbent Government. “It is an act of frustration and false and baseless allegations have been leveled against the Congress Government,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior cabinet Minister Vidya Stokes who has been charged with incompetence by the Opposition in their chargesheet for failing to check corruption in her Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) department she heads, summoned senior officers of the department and asked to look into the charges leveled against them.
“We have gone through the charges leveled and officers have been summoned to verify the facts,” said Stokes. Opposition had said in their chargesheet that Sarkaghat division of IPH had given tender for supply of pipes worth crores of rupees which were sub-standard in nature and have alleged irregularities in the entire tendering process.
Industry Minister Mukesh Agnihotri who has been alleged in the chargesheet for patronising the mining mafia refuted the allegations of patronage and favouritism, as baseless and alleged that charges are leveled by the BJP leaders naming rival mining companies, which do not enjoy their patronage.
Another senior minister GS Balli demanded unconditional apology from the BJP leaders for tarnishing his image. “If within 15 days I do not get any apology then I will file a defamation suit against BJP leaders who have signed the chargesheet and those who were present while submitting the chargesheet to the Governor,” said Balli at a media briefing at Kangra. BJP in its chargesheet has alleged that Balli had purchased a Government forest land worth crores at Palampur of Kangra district, part of which is tea garden, which cannot be purchased for any other purpose as per State laws. “Yes, I have purchased the land but I have got all necessary records which suggest that no wrongdoing had been done in sale-purchase of land in question, as per law prevailing in the State,” said Balli.