New Delhi/Shimla, Dec 27 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister on Saturday attended the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in New Delhi, even as the state continued to witness an ongoing indefinite doctors’ strike, putting additional pressure on the state administration.
The high-level meeting at Indira Bhawan is being chaired by the Congress National President and is attended by senior leaders, including the CPP Chairperson and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The CWC is deliberating on the party’s nationwide action plan against the BJP-led union Government, particularly in the context of the controversial “Viksit Bharat–G RAM G Bill,” besides reviewing organisational strategy, future programmes, and policy direction.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, CM Sukhu strongly criticised what he described as attempts by the Centre to weaken the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). He said dilution and restructuring of the scheme had effectively “snatched the right to employment from poor people and villagers,” especially in hill states like Himachal Pradesh that are heavily dependent on wage employment during lean agricultural seasons.
Political sources said Sukhu’s Delhi visit is also significant from an organisational standpoint. The Chief Minister is expected to hold consultations with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership on finalising the appointment of district Congress presidents in Himachal Pradesh. Discussions may also take place on filling vacant posts in the state cabinet and the position of Deputy Speaker.
With Panchayat elections due early next year, the Congress leadership is keen to put its organisational house in order. The state government has limited room to defer the elections beyond March, as the current Panchayat tenure ends on January 20.
Meanwhile, party leaders privately expressed concern that changes in the MNREGA framework towards more targeted and utilisation-specific funding could lead to further reduction in central allocations to Congress-ruled states, including Himachal Pradesh, adding to fiscal and political challenges ahead of the grassroots polls.
