Shimla, March 11 Himachal Pradesh Minister Jagat Singh Negi accused former Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla of "unfairly" treating the tribal community living in the state's border areas by denying them approval in cases related to Nautor land.
Addressing the media here, Negi said he met Shukla eight times over Nautor cases, but there was no resolution.
Nautor cases refer to legal disputes concerning the allocation and ownership of Nautor land – barren government land given to landless individuals for cultivation under specific rules.
Kavinder Gupta was sworn in as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh in a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in Shimla on Tuesday, while Shukla has now become the Governor of Telangana. A major reshuffle of gubernatorial posts was effected in several states and Union territories by President Droupadi Murmu earlier this week.
Negi, the Minister for Revenue and Tribal Affairs, said that previous governors had approved Nautor demands, allowing the tribal community to have land to cultivate.
"If decisions had been taken in time, orchards would now be bearing fruits," the minister said, adding that tribal people had suffered due to the BJP's "narrow-mindedness".
Negi said he would meet with the new governor and expressed hope of making progress on approval for Nautor demands.
The minister also reacted to a statement by Shukla before he left for Telangana. Shukla advised the Himachal government to stand on its own feet by adopting a strong work culture and effectively utilise the opportunities available to it.
Negi said it was extremely irresponsible for a person holding a constitutional position to make such a statement.