Government Not Interested in Hearing Public Grievances: Jairam

Mandi, October 29 — Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur launched a sharp attack on the Congress government, accusing it of turning its back on citizens’ issues and even forgetting its own public-connect programmes.

He said that the people still remember the Jan Manch launched during the BJP government — a platform where citizens could directly raise their grievances. “Today, there is no system for people to be heard. Officers remain confined to their offices and the government avoids public interaction,” he stated.

Thakur alleged that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has lost interest in meeting the public and instead prefers “picnic-like” visits with friends, only to return without resolving anything. He added that the Congress is deliberately not restarting the ‘Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar’ programme because the government fears facing public anger over its failures, especially after the devastating monsoon disaster.

He further accused the government of discrimination in development, claiming that areas represented by BJP MLAs are being ignored, while payments are being cleared only for “favourite” contractors close to the ruling leadership. “Contractors across the state are protesting due to pending dues running into crores,” he said.

Later, the Leader of Opposition visited Thachi village in Seraj constituency to offer condolences to the family of Shaheed Dhammeshwar Datt, who recently laid down his life while serving in the Indian Army.