Shimla, Aug. 26 -- After heated exchanges between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Himachal Pradesh assembly on the 4th day of the ongoing monsoon session, opposition legislators walked out of the assembly over the state government's response to questions over jobs and unemployment. During Question Hour, BJP MLA Jeet Ram Katwal raised a question related to outsourced employees and recruitment. Raising the issue of vacancies in various government departments, Katwal said 37% of posts were vacant across 13 major departments - 11,610 posts are vacant. He pointed out that the Congress had come to power promising to provide five lakh jobs during its five-year tenure. In response, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the government was creating employment and self-employment opportunities through various initiatives, including the Rajiv Gandhi Startup Scheme, and would create more employment opportunities. Calling it a "complete collapse" of the administrative system, leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur alleged that a large number of posts remained vacant in key departments. "You made 10 guarantees, including a promise to provide one lakh jobs in the very first year. The reality is that 5,017 posts are vacant in the jal shakti department, 3,635 in the electricity board, 2,768 in the PWD, 3,442 in higher education, 10,859 in primary education, and 1,298 in the health department. Four years are about to pass-when will the work actually get done?" The CM said many vacancies had existed since the previous government's tenure and assured the House that vacant posts would be filled. He also said the government was preparing a new policy for outsourced employees. The Opposition MLAs, expressing dissatisfaction with the reply given by the CM, walked out of the assembly raising slogans against the government outside the assembly. Speaking to the media, Jai Ram Thakur said the Congress had promised during the assembly elections to provide one lakh jobs in its first cabinet meeting. He alleged that the government was now nearing the end of its tenure but had failed to take any concrete steps to provide employment to the state's unemployed youth. Thakur levelled allegations regarding outsourced recruitment. He claimed that there were reports of companies being registered in Himachal Pradesh for the recruitment of outsourced employees that were allegedly linked to Congress office-bearers. He alleged that demands for money and commissions were emerging even before jobs were provided through outsourcing. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said a government that cannot provide healthcare facilities to people is a failed government and must be changed. He said, "The government was systematically attempting to shut down welfare schemes introduced by the previous BJP government. The condition of healthcare facilities in the state had deteriorated significantly. While the CM repeatedly spoke about providing high-end healthcare services, the ground reality was that patients were struggling due to a lack of medicines and treatment". He said the government was talking about advanced facilities such as robotic surgery and MRI services, but basic healthcare facilities required by poor patients were in a poor condition. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that his government is working to eliminate waiting times for CT scan and MRI facilities, and this service will soon be available at all major health institutions across the state. Responding to a question raised by Congress MLA Kewal Singh Pathania during the Question Hour, he said that the government has replaced the 19-year-old MRI machine at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla. He said that robotic surgery has been introduced in the state for the first time, with equipment purchased at rates one crore rupees lower than those at AIIMS. Pathania had asked for details regarding the funds spent on purchasing equipment and machinery for various medical colleges in the state over the past three years....