Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday criticised Congress leaders for raking up “non-issues” and charged that the Opposition party was “misguiding” the people by diverting their attention from core issues of development.

Addressing public meeting in Solan for Municipal Corporation (MC) polls that are scheduled to be held on 7 April, Thakur said the opposition parties were misleading the residents of the rural areas included in the Municipal Corporation for imposing many taxes.

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“Rumors are being spread among the people that in the areas of the villages which had been included newly constituted Solan MC, there will be heavy taxation on rearing of Gaumata and land.

The people should not pay attention to these rumors as no tax of any kind will be levied in these areas for the next 5 years,” he added.

He thanked the residents of all the villages adjoining Solan for constituting the Municipal Corporation, with whose support the Solan MC had been formed.

The Chief Minister said the present state government had ensured balanced and equitable development of all areas of the state with special focus on those areas which remained neglected during the previous Congress regime.

He also accused the Congress leaders for misguiding the people of the state, by raking up non issues in a bid to divert attention of the people from core issues of development.

“The state government has constituted Municipal Corporation for the betterment of the people and everyone would be benefited by the formation of a Municipal Corporation.

In the 2021 census, the population of Solan would be more than 50,000 and in that case, if the residents of rural areas included in the Municipal Corporation want to be outside the periphery of Corporation, then the government will respect their intent,” he said.

Thakur further stated that the state government had constituted 3 new Municipal Corporations for the planned development of fast growing cities and the claim of Solan city was the strongest for the MC in terms of population and rapid development.

He urged the people to vote for Bharatiya Janata Party candidates in the elections of the Municipal Corporation Solan.

He added BJP was working with dedication to make development accessible to the people and the victory of BJP candidates in Municipal Corporation Solan will herald a new era of development in the region.

HP BJP chief Suresh Kashyap said the former Congress government did not give Municipal Corporation status to Solan due to vested interests but the BJP government had fulfilled this long-awaited demand under the leadership of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.