By IANS,
Shimla : The Congress Saturday alleged that the Himachal Pradesh government was violating the model code of conduct by distributing free energy saving bulbs in the state.
The party has urged the Election Commission to ban the free distribution of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).
“The Bharatiya Janata Party government is still distributing free CFL bulbs under the Atal Bijili Bachat Scheme in the state despite the model code of conduct coming into force,” state Congress spokesman Kuldeep Singh Rathore told IANS.
“We have sent a formal complaint in this regard to the Election Commission,” he said.
He said the scheme was scheduled to be completed by February. However the state government, with an eye on general elections, has restarted free distribution of CFLs, he alleged.
The scheme – named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee – was launched in the state in November last year.
Under the initiative, a pack of four CFLs – two each of 15 watt and 20 watt – will be provided to 1.65 million families free of cost across the state.