Govt to remain neutral in probe, assures CM

He said the government had no role in deciding the CBI team8217;s tour, which had coincided with the Assembly session. He added that the government had only done what the CBI had demanded, which included government8217;s help in examining certain official records and arrangements for the team8217;s stay in Shimla.

The Chief Minister recalled that the BJP, when in opposition, had levelled certain charges against previous Congress government, but now it was the government8217;s duty to ensure that the inquiry be conducted in a fair and impartial manner. He wondered as to why the Congress MLAs and their party leaders were feeling uneasy if they had not done anything 27wrong.

Dhumal8217;s remarks on the issue came after Himachal Vikas Congress HVC president Sukh Ram alleged that attempts were being made to influence the course of inquiry. This was in reference to a joint statement issued by the Congress MLAs yesterday, accusing the government of 8220;deliberate leak8221; and attempts to embarrass CLP leader Virbhadra Singh.

Sukh Ram also quoted a letter written by some Congress MLAs to the special CBI court in Delhi in connection with the cases pending against HVC president and subsequent joint statements of Congress MLAs opposing the CBI inquiry against Virbhadra Singh. 8220;If they can make attempts to influence the courts, then the same thing can easily be done with the CBI,8221; he alleged.

The Congress MLAs, led by former chief minister Ram Lal Thakur and senior parliamentarian J. B. L. Khachi, protested against Sukh Ram8217;s remarks and clarified that neither they nor Virbhadra Singh had opposed the inquiry.

Sukh Ram was participating in the debate on the budget. Besides Virbhadra Singh, he also attacked other Congress leaders, while cautioning Dhumal against attempts to compromise with corruption.

Sukh Ram also raised the issue of benefits given to a cement unit and also suspected underhand deals in signing of MoUs by some other cement plants during the previous Congress regime. Former Industries minister Rangila Ram Rao refuted the charges and denied grant of any special benefit to the controversial cement unit at Darlaghat.

On budget proposals, the HVC president complimented Dhumal for his efforts to mobilise resources and accelerate the pace of development. He suggested that the government should come up with long and short-term measures on cutting-down unproductive expenditures. Sukh Ram also mooted the idea of setting-up a high-level committee to suggest steps on non-performance assets of the government and also to improve the functioning of PSUs.