DHARAMSHALA: Raking up a big controversy, BJP’s seniormost leader of state and former chief minister Shanta Kumar has opposed two Vidhan Sabha complexes in a "small state like Himachal Pradesh". The sitting MP termed the investment for bringing assembly session at this hill town during winters a criminal wastage of public money.At a press conference on Saturday, Shanta Kumar said that the Vidhan Sabha complex at this hill town was a "white elephant".“There is no fun in running only a five-day session at this assembly complex during winters. It costs around Rs two crore. I urge the government to allot this structure for establishing the central varsity of Himachal Pradesh,” he said.However, bringing Vidhan Sabha complex to this hill town was the political will of the Congress and it was inaugurated in 2006 by then sitting chief minister Virbhadra Singh. It was brought for giving the representation to the lower Himachal and giving second capital status to Dharamshala.An investment of around Rs seven crore was made to establish this complex here. But the building was used to run winter session of assembly which lasts for maximum five to six days.Kumar has demanded to transfer this land and building in the name of Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP), promising that he will get it inaugurated it by November this year.“We are planning to lay the foundation stone of the CUHP within next two months. But if this building will be transferred in the name of the varsity, I will make a formal inauguration of permanent campus of the institute,” he said.At present, CUHP was operating from various campuses being run at Dharamshala, Shahpur and Dehra. The land for the varsity was marked, but the various clearances were yet to be received for that.The MP also demanded that Himachal government should make the yoga and moral education compulsory to fight the drug menace in state. He said that the new polices of tourism were going to bring investment and will create jobs in state.

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