Shimla, Jan. 17 -- The internal rift within the Himachal Pradesh cabinet over public works department minister Vikramaditya Singh's remarks against non-Himachali officers widened on Tuesday after education minister Rohit Thakur came out in his support. Thakur termed Singh an "efficient minister" and urged chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to intervene and clear any "doubts" to prevent the situation from escalating. The controversy erupted after Vikramaditya posted on social media alleging that certain senior IAS and IPS officers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were "undermining Himachaliyat" and lacked concern for the state. His comments drew a sharp reaction from the state's IAS and IPS Officers' Associations, who formally lodged a protest with the government against the "regional" profiling. Speaking in Shimla onthe sidelines of an educational tour for children with special needs, Thakur sought a middle ground. He praised Vikramaditya's three-year tenure as successful but noted that the contribution of all-India service officers to Himachal's development "cannot be ignored". "Negative thinking exists everywhere, both within and outside the state. It cannot be generalised," Thakur said, adding that while some officers do create hurdles, the CM should resolve the matter through dialogue. Thakur's support stands in contrast to other cabinet colleagues who have reprimanded Vikramaditya. State technical education minister Rajesh Dharmani and panchayati raj minister Anirudh Singh criticised the move, saying that grievances should be raised in cabinet meetings rather than on social media. Himachal revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi reminded all parties that both "ministers and officers are bound by rules" and public debates on such sensitive administrative matters are inappropriate. Through the Samagra Shiksha department of education department, around 96 children were sent to Amritsar on an exposure trip. These children are from all districts of the state and all are children with special needs. "Such programmes are organised to give them exposure. Similar programmes have been organised in the past as well. With this thinking, we want to ensure that our special children do not lag behind in any subject," Thakur said. He added that special educators will accompany the children throughout the five-day tour to ensure their safety and learning. Amid the escalating row, the former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur criticised the functioning of Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government. "Today, in Himachal, ministers and bureaucrats are at loggerheads. Instead of working, ministers are blaming the officers, while the officers are unwilling to listen to the ministers. This infighting clearly shows that the government's authority has completely eroded and there is an atmosphere of anarchy in governance," said Jai Ram while interacting with media in Kullu Hitting out directly at the chief minister, Jai Ram said, "Some influential officers sit with the CM for hours and are now manipulating the entire government. The chief minister and his cabinet have lost control over the administration, dueto which public welfare works have come to a standstill." "What we have been saying from day one, now their own ministers are publicly confirming," he remarked....