Dharamshala, Feb. 7 -- Senior BJP leader and former Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar accused the Congress government of suppressing the voice of elected legislators by deliberately withholding the MLAs' Area Development Fund and discretionary grants, calling it a direct attack on democratic rights and public welfare.
Parmar said the MLA fund was not a government "favour" but a constitutional provision meant for essential grassroots works such as roads, drinking water, health, education, sports facilities, community buildings, and disaster relief. "By stopping this fund, the Congress government is punishing the people and betraying development," he alleged.
He said the government, which frequently cites financial distre...