There was a huge uproar in the state assembly on Wednesday over a decision of the incumbent Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Government to discontinue ‘Jan Manch’, an ambitious program of the former BJP government to resolve the grievances of the public at the door-step.

Protesting against the decision, entire Opposition moved into the well of the House and raised slogans against the government. The assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania had to adjourn the meeting for 15 minutes amid heavy uproar.

However, the uproar ended when the House resumed its sitting and thereafter the proceedings of the House went smoothly for the day.

The chief minister had announced that the state government would discontinue the ‘Jan Manch’ program and replace it with a new one, while replying to the question raised by Congress MLA Yadvinder Goma during the question hour in the Budget session here on Wednesday.

The Opposition created ruckus in the House over the issue of closure of the Jan Manch.

The chief minister said, “The new government has come to power and we will bring a new program.”

He said that the government wants to reach out to the last person in the line. He accused Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur of indulging in politics over the Jan Manch program and seeking to take political advantage of it.

The chief minister said people’s problems will be solved in the government’s new program and that the government will not dishonor the employees and officers in public through such programs.

He said that an amount of Rs 2.70 crore was spent only on providing food in Jan Manch programmes, while an amount of Rs 2 crore was spent on setting up tents.

Earlier, Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh told the House replying to the question that between June 3, 2018 and May 1, 2022, a total of 258 Jan Manch programs were organized in the state and Rs 5.34 crore was spent.

In these Jan Manch programmes, 45,726 complaints were received, out of which 43821 complaints were resolved, while 1905 complaints are yet to be resolved, he disclosed.

As soon as the Question Hour ended, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur again raised the issue of Jan Manch in the House and said that Jan Manch program is a program related to emotions of the public.

He said that Jan Manch was such a scheme, through which people from remote areas of the state were getting their problems resolved at their doorstep.

In such a situation, the BJP has a strong objection to the closure of this program, he lamented.

He said that the government should run this program as it is, because stopping any program is not the solution to the problem.

When the House met again after the adjournment, Jai Ram Thakur, again raised the issue and said that his intention was not to disrupt the House and that the government should reconsider its decision, as the government is not there to shut down everything.