Our Correspondent
Kullu, October 18
Vikramaditya Singh, son of Congress candidate Pratibha Singh, said today that it was unfortunate that the government had denied the payment of 'nazrana' (honorarium) to the deities visiting the Kullu dasehra festival. He urged the Chief Minister to restore it.
The Shimla (Rural) MLA, while talking to mediapersons here, said that it was not a political issue but it would have an adverse impact on the sentiments of the people associated with the Dev Samaj.
Won't hit government coffers
The excuse of Covid is not appropriate to refrain from assisting in 'Dev karaj' (auspicious work). The government is doing wasteful expenditure and giving a nominal 'nazrana' will not affect its coffers. — Vikramaditya Singh, Shimla (Rural) MLA
He said that his father, former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, had deep faith in the deity culture and had started the 'nazrana' for the deities coming to participate in the world-famous Kullu dasehra from far-off places. He added that this year, the 'nazrana' had been denied on the pretext that there was no income from the festival, as commercial activities were not permitted.
Vikramaditya said that the excuse of Covid was not appropriate to refrain from assisting in 'Dev karaj' (auspicious work). He added that the government was doing wasteful expenditure and giving a nominal 'nazrana' would not have affected its coffers. Later, he visited the camp temples of various deities at Dhalpur to seek their blessings. He also paid obeisance at the temple of chief deity Lord Raghunath.
Earlier addressing a public meeting at Khalada village in the Lug valley, he said that the state government had amassed a debt of Rs 60,000 crore. He added that the government lacked vision and was directionless.
Vikramaditya said that nothing on ground had been done for the international airport in Mandi in the past four years. Not even the detailed project reports of 69 national highways announced by the Union Government long ago had not been prepared. He added that BJP leaders were silent on the rising prices of LPG, petrol and diesel.
Courtesy: Tribune News Service