Jairam Thakur slams Sukhu Government, Demands withdrawal of guest teacher policy

Dharamshala, December 16, 2024: In a scathing attack on the Sukhu government, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur accused the administration of imposing ill-conceived policies on the state without public consultation. In a press release issued from Dharamshala, Thakur called on the government to immediately withdraw its controversial Guest Teacher Policy, which he described as detrimental to the future of the youth, harmful to the education system, and damaging to the state’s reputation.

"The Sukhu government cannot enforce policies arbitrarily, ignoring their impact on the public. It must act on its promises by scrapping the Guest Teacher Policy and providing permanent jobs to the youth," Thakur stated. He added that the policy is not only "anti-youth" and "anti-education" but also reflects poorly on the administration’s credibility.

Challenging the policy’s popularity, Thakur said, "Out of Himachal's 75 lakh residents, apart from the Chief Minister and his ministers, has anyone praised this policy? If so, the government should name them. This policy is unacceptable under any circumstances."

Thakur urged the government to stop misleading the public with grand statements and instead focus on genuine welfare measures. "The people of Himachal are already protesting against the government just two years into its tenure. This is a worrying sign. The government came to power by promising one lakh jobs every year and five lakh jobs in five years. It is time to honor those commitments and provide secure employment to the youth," he asserted.

Taking a swipe at the administration, Thakur reminded Chief Minister Sukhu that the people of Himachal understand the stark difference between secure government jobs and precarious private or temporary roles. "A permanent job of 58 years cannot be equated with a one-hour teaching assignment. The BJP firmly opposes the policy of hiring guest teachers on an hourly basis," he said.

Later in the day, Jairam Thakur reviewed preparations for the BJP’s upcoming Jan Akrosh Rally, scheduled for Wednesday, December 18, at Zorawar Stadium in Dharamshala. He was accompanied by prominent BJP leaders, including former Assembly Speaker and Kangra-Chamba in-charge Vipin Singh Parmar, Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma, BJP State Spokesperson Sanjay Sharma, State Media Co-in-charge Advocate Vishwa Chakshu, former MLA Chaitanya Sharma, District Kangra BJP President Sachin Sharma, Dharamshala BJP Mandal President Dr. Vishal Nehria, District Media Co-in-charge Ankush Verma, and other senior members like Satish Josh and Viru Ram Walia.