Shimla, March 26 -- In her maiden speech in the Himachal Pradesh assembly, Dehra MLA Kamlesh Thakur hits out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre saying "Three sisters - LPG, MGNREGA, and RDG-are on ventilators". Kamlesh Thakur (55), a first time MLA - was elected from the Dehra Assembly seat in a June 2024 by-election, is among the three female MLAs - two from Congress and one BJP, in Himachal Assembly. She is wife of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. "On the auspicious occasion of Navratri, I thought it was appropriate to present my views in the House for the first time", said Kamlesh, while participating in the budget discussion. Targeting the government at the Centre, Kamlesh Thakur, said, "Currently, three "sisters"-LPG, MGNREGA, and RDG-are on ventilators". She added, "The current situation regarding LPG supply is such that a 45-day waiting condition has been imposed even under the Ujjwala Scheme. Today, meals are being cooked on traditional wood-fired stoves at the Holiday Home. The situation has become so dire that even within the Legislative Assembly premises, people have been compelled to cook using wood-fired stoves". Ujjwaal scheme is the Central government scheme in which LPG connections were provided to empower rural households with access to clean cooking fuel. "In light of this, if our government provides 300 units of free electricity to poor families, they will undoubtedly benefit from it. It would yield direct benefits not only for homemakers but also for livestock rearers, farmers, and women engaged in self-employment-such as beauty parlor operators," said Kamlesh. Describing the 2026-27 budget as "well-balanced", Kamlesh in her speech, characterized the budget as "being deeply connected to the common man and inclusive in nature". "This budget takes care of every section of society, and despite challenging circumstances, it addresses the needs of women, the elderly, children, unemployed youth, and all sections of society. This budget is connected at the personal level and day-to-day lives of the common man." "In the field of education, our government has performed excellent work, and special emphasis has been placed on education within the budget," she added. Speaking in the House, Kamlesh stated that while the children of the common man attend government schools but today the CBSE is currently facing opposition. "Our government holds no animosity toward the State School Education Board. Across the country, state boards generally award lower marks compared to the CBSE; consequently, a transition to the CBSE framework would prove beneficial for meritorious students. Bringing any initiative to fruition on the ground takes time and requires cooperation," she said. Expressing concern over low enrollment, Kamlesh said Dehra College-located within his own constituency-is currently facing closure due to a shortage of students. Lending a philosophical depth to her speech, she remarked, "The Budget Book is voluminous because it is replete with facts. Just as it is essential to grasp the essence of the Gita rather than merely viewing it as a book, the true value of the Budget, too, lies in its core essence." Legislative Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania congratulated her and expressed his appreciation for her maiden speech....