The members of the treasury benches made the Ministers uncomfortable with their questions in the state assembly on Tuesday. The BJP MLA from Lohaghat, Puran Singh Fartyal cornered the Tourism and Irrigation minister Satpal Maharaj when he said that the irrigation department has registered a contractor who has a dubious record. He said that an FIR was lodged against the said contractor in the irregularities in the Tanakpur- Jauljibi road project.

He said the contractor in collusion with the officials of irrigation department is applying for tenders in the irrigation department. In his response the minister informed that an inquiry would be conducted and the contractor would be blacklisted if found guilty. On it Fartiyal said that the said contractor has already been found guilty in one inquiry regarding a major project.

The Transport and Social Welfare minister, Yashpal Arya also faced uneasy moments in the assembly while answering questions related to his department.  In a question regarding increase in substance abuse in the State the minster while accepting it said the department is engaged in extensive campaign to educate masses on the ill effects of substance abuse.

When the members who included senior BJP MLAs like Harbans Kapoor and Munna Singh Chauhan asked about the government’s plan to tackle the problem, the minister replied that his department has limited powers on the subject. Chauhan said that the since the problem of substance abuse in an area like Dehradun is related to factors concerning to neighbouring States also, coordination with other States is needed.