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More to `Winter Capital' than meets the eye

Kanwar Yogendra

Political motive alleged behind move to hold Winter Session of Himachal Assembly in Dharamshala

SHIMLA: The issue of discrimination against Kangra raised by some prominent Congressmen and also by a divided BJP might have helped them politically a little but the people of Kangra find themselves lucky enough to witness the first ever session of State Assembly in their district. For the first time the State Government has agreed to hold a winter session of Vidhan Sabha in Dharamshala, the district headquarters of the newly merged district of Kangra.

The Virbhadra Singh government after constantly being blamed for a step-motherly treatment towards the largest district of Kangra has agreed to this demand of the Opposition. It has agreed to give Kangra a status of "Winter Capital" of the State and functioning of the government from there for a few weeks during winters. It has to be formally announced after some constitutional and legal paperwork, said the government officials.

The State Government after deciding it under a tremendous pressure is now taking a credit by calling it a step towards the "decentralisation of power". In the last week of December the entire government machinery would be in Dharamshala along with all the Ministers, Secretaries and various Heads of Departments.

But the pro-Kangra lobby in the State is still not satisfied with this move and is calling it an exercise in futility being made for pure political gains by Mr. Virbhadra Singh. "The Chief Minister has started covering up exercise for all discriminatory and anti-Kangra decisions as only two years are left for the next Assembly polls", they said. "Now from where the finances would come for a second Capital for which his government was crying hoarse so far", they asked.

A strong anti-Shimla or anti-upper areas feeling has immersed in the people of lower areas of Himachal especially the Kangra district, said the BJP leaders. Congress government led by Virbhadra Singh lost the Guler by-elections in Kangra after he threw out three Cabinet Ministers from his government during the downsizing exercise.

This was taken as a strong anti-Kangra move by the residents of lower areas, they said. Kangra has 16 Assembly seats where as Shimla has just 8 segments and it is still not properly represented in the State Government. Mr. Singh dropped senior Ministers like Major Vijai Mankotia, Chanderesh Kumari and B.B. Lal Bhutail from Kangra but let Singhi Ram, an insignificant leader from Shimla continue despite the Chief Minister himself and number two Minister Vidya Stokes also belonging to upper areas.

Another senior Minister in his cabinet from Kangra Chander Kumar was shifted to Lok Sabha. The biggest district was left with just two Ministers in the Cabinet although it had sent the largest chunk of 12 Congress MLAs to the State Assembly.

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