Youth losing interest in joining Army due to Agniveer scheme: CM Sukhu

The Agniveer scheme providing jobs only for four years has discouraged the youth from joining the Army, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Saturday.

Interacting with mediapersons at Nadaun,“ his home constituency which is part of the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, Sukhu said that despite tall claims made by Union minister Anurag Thakur, work for the rail track between Una and Hamirpur could not be materialised.

Thakur is the sitting BJP MP from Hamirpur.

Mentioning the projects undertaken by the Congress-led state government in Hamirpur, the chief minister said a medical college has been set up in the district while a cancer hospital is on the cards.

He reiterated that the state government did a commendable work in providing relief to the people during the recent natural disaster and also restored the old pension scheme.

Criticising the Centre's Agniveer scheme, Sukhu said, ''There is now less interest among the youth in serving the country (in the Army) because of the BJP's Agniveer scheme which is providing jobs only for four years.'' The chief minister said top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Malikaurjan Kharge will visit Himachal Pradesh to seek votes for the party candidates contesting elections from the four Lok Sabha seats in the state and simultaneous by-elections in six assembly constituencies slated for June 1.

He said the BJP's decision to give tickets to six Congress rebels who ''sold themselves'' is proof that the ''power-hungry'' party tried to topple the democratically elected state government and people would give them a befitting reply in the ongoing elections. The state

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