Three senior Congress leaders have refuted the claim of Mr P.K. Dhumal, a former Chief Minister, that work on the Bamsen-Mewa water supply scheme was started by the BJP regime and asserted that the project could not take off because of the failure of the government to arrange funds. Joining issue with Mr Dhumal, Mr Rangila Ram Rao, Excise and Taxation Minister, Mr Ram Lal Thakur, Forest Minister, and Mrs Anita Verma, MLA, pointed out that the project for rejuvenating the various lift water supply schemes from the Beas in Logwalti, Bamsen, Bhoranj and Sarkaghat areas was approved in 1999. With the main source at Kandapattan in Mandi, it was designed to cater to the need of 349 habitations of Hamirpur and Mandi districts. However, it failed to take off as the then BJP government failed to provide funds.