Shimla, July 29: Senior CPM leader and Himachal Kisan Sabha state president Dr Kuldeep Singh Tanwar on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Panchayati Raj Minister and three -time Kasumpti MLA Anirudh Singh.
Sabha says that the minister including the successive governments failed to provide a scientifically planned and durable road network despite representing the constituency for nearly 14 years.
In a strongly worded statement, Dr Tanwar said roads are the backbone of development in a hill state as they determine access to education, healthcare, agriculture, horticulture, tourism and disaster response. However, he alleged that road construction in Kasumpti has been driven by "political expediency rather than scientific planning."
"Roads should be constructed according to prescribed engineering standards under government schemes such as PWD, NABARD and PMGSY so that they last for decades. Instead, roads are being built in an ad hoc manner, deteriorate quickly and require repeated repairs, allowing politicians to claim credit again and again while the public continues to suffer," he charged.
Questioning the development record under Anirudh Singh, Tanwar claimed that only two major road projects—the Baldeyan-Mandar Road and the Dummi-Jholo Road—have been initiated in the last 10-12 years in the constituency.
He said both projects secured Forest Conservation Act (FCA) clearance only after sustained public movements and pressure mounted by the Himachal Kisan Sabha, and even today substantial work remains incomplete.
"There is not a single new major road project with FCA clearance presently under execution in Kasumpti. This reflects the neglect of the constituency despite its long-standing political representation," he alleged.
Tanwar maintained that the true test of any rural road is whether HRTC buses can ply on it regularly.
"If a government bus cannot operate on a road, the poorest families, students, women, senior citizens and people without private vehicles cannot derive its real benefit. A road without reliable public transport cannot be called successful," he said.
The CPM leader further alleged that several link roads being highlighted by the government are constructed under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), which has limited scope and does not provide for long-term maintenance. As a result, many such roads become damaged within a few years, he claimed.
Calling for a complete overhaul of road planning, Tanwar demanded a scientific survey and a long-term master plan for the entire Kasumpti Assembly constituency to ensure every village is connected by safe, all-weather roads capable of supporting regular HRTC services.
He also challenged the minister to publicly defend his government's performance on road infrastructure, asserting that "development cannot be measured through announcements and patchwork repairs but through durable infrastructure that serves people for generations."
