Sulking HP CM attacks Cong high command

A sulking Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today made a veiled attack on the Congress high command as he said the party was "going in a different direction" from its earlier policies and that "pick and choose" approach would finish its good culture.
He said there is a need for change in thinking and working of the party leadership as the Congress is "not a party of businessmen but belongs to those who made sacrifices for the Independence" of the country.
"Earlier, right from block level upto the All India Congress Working Committee (AICC), members were elected. But, now the party is going in a different direction and even theblock Congress members are being nominated from PCC office," Singh said addressing a public meeting at Nirmand in Kullu district.

"The Congress party is not a party of businessmen but belongs to those who made sacrifices for the Independence of the country. My suggestion to the AICC as well as to Pradesh Congress Committees(PCCs) is that there is a need for change in thinking and working," the senior party leader said.
He said "if any member is to be given preference, he should be elected on the basis of his dedicated services for the party right from block level to district Congress committees."
The longest serving four-time chief minister of Himachal Pradesh is sulking as he wants removal of the state Congress chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, his known detractor.

Singh, who has earlier declared that he will not contest the next Assembly elections due later this year, said he was elected president of Himachal Congress Committee four times and was nominated once by the Congress high command, that too just a month or two before the Assembly polls in 2012.

The policy of "pick and choose" should be avoided as it will finish the good culture of the party, he said at the public meeting.
Criticising the creation of organisational blocks by the PCC, he said, "It is against the norms and not acceptable at any costas one fine day, people will start demanding a district, the two or three panchayats togetherwill press for a sub-tehsil or tehsil status, which is not in interest of the state as well as the party."

Singh had earlier written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, saying he would neither contest the election nor lead the party at the hustings if the current situation continued.
A number of ministers and MLAs have openly come out in his support and demanded that he should lead the party in the elections.
According to a state government spokesman, the chief minister directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to complete the major works within the stipulated time period.
He asked the PWD to ensure that the contractor, who has been awarded the job, completes the work withing the given time frame and in case the work was delayed, the contractor should be black-listed for five years.

He said the delay in completion of works results in cost and time overrun.
Singh listed the "strides" made by the state in the field of education, saying he opened educational institutions inspite of criticism from BJP.
"I want to ensure that all the children of the state are well qualified and well educated so that they can contribute towards nation building," the chief minister said.
Rubbishing allegations of the BJP that the government was on "foundation stone-laying spree" without adequate budget provision, he said, "there is enough budget for completing the schemes."
He said all these works and announcements are made after due consideration and ensuring availability of funds.