BJP MLA and former minister Bikram Thakur has alleged large-scale irregularities in the procurement of dustbins under the Swachh Bharat Mission in Kangra, demanding a high-level Vigilance Bureau probe into the matter.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Jaswan-Pragpur legislator claimed that the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department purchased overpriced dustbins for gram panchayats, causing a loss to the public exchequer.
According to Thakur, while the actual market cost of each dustbin ranges between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000, official records show a purchase price of Rs 44,200 per unit. He termed the discrepancy a “planned scam” and a clear misuse of central funds.
Thakur accused senior district officials of corruption and urged the state government to take strict action. He also pointed out that the dustbins were purchased from Pathankot in Punjab instead of local vendors. As a result, the resulting GST revenue went to the Punjab Government rather than to the Himachal Pradesh’s exchequer. Furthermore, the former minister claimed elected panchayat representatives were sidelined during the procurement, with bills forwarded directly for payment. He also questioned the utility of installing these dustbins without hiring sanitation workers, adding that the units supplied were substandard and failed to meet specifications. Targeting the leadership, he alleged certain officials were indulging in corruption under the patronage of the CM, contradicting the CM’s claims of plugging corruption.
