Shimla, Feb. 4 -- : Former chief minister and leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday lashed out at Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government in the state accusing them of not taking panchayat elections seriously despite court orders. Accusing the state government of lax approach to the panchayat elections, Thakur in a statement issued from Shimla, said, "Even after the deadline had passed, the voter lists had not yet been published in 10 out of 12 districts. Although the government had agreed to hold the panchayat elections following the orders of the High Court, the government was deliberately delaying the election process. The failure to publish the panchayat election voter lists, raises questions about the government's intentions". Thakur praised the US decision to reduce tariffs on India, calling it a diplomatic success for PM Narendra Modi. "It is a matter of great pleasure that the duties on Made in India products have been reduced to 18%. This step will increase the global competitiveness of Indian products and boost exports," said Thakur. htc...