Cong’s disciplinary, monitoring panels meet tomorrow

Raipur, December 31

The meetings of Congress disciplinary and monitoring committees will be organised at Congress Bhawan on January 2. Before these meetings, the state unit head Nandkumar Patel will convene an important meeting of the PCC office-bearers. CLP leader Ravindra Choubey will also attend this meeting.

Patel, who has asked the workers to intensify their activities considering party’s mission 2013, is said to be discussing with the office-bearers about January first week programmes of Congress in different parts of the state. The meeting will start at 12 pm.

As the party will organise district-level workers’ meetings in four districts – Balrampur, Surajpur, Koria and Mungeli from January 4-6 and the participants in them would range from the all the senior leaders of the sate including by AICC general secretary and state Congress incharge BK Hariprasada, incharge secretary Bhakt Charandas and Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Dr Charandas Mahant, Patel has urged partymen to make all the four meetings equally successful like the ones recently held in Balod and Rajnandgaon.

On January 2 meeting, he will delegate responsibility to the office-bearers to the ensure gathering of massive crowd during the meetings.

In district-level meetings, the party once again plans to raise issues like scams in mining,MNREGA and PMGSY works, eye camp incidents in Balod, Rajnandgaon and Kawardha, land acquisition cases for power plants in Janjgir-Champa, illegal sale-purchase of tribal lands, selling of dams, Rs 270 paddy bonus, rising naxal violence, lawlessness, human trafficking, farmers’ suicide, etc.

The second meeting on January 2 will be organised by the party’s disciplinary committee at 2 pm. The committee is likely to issue new guidelines for the leaders and workers to prevent them to give reckless public statements and stop infighting.

The third meeting will be convened by the chairman of Congress monitoring committee Arvind Netam at 4 pm. The meeting will be attended by all the committee members who will chalk out panel’s forthcoming tour programmes.

Farmers’ suicide: Cong dharna against govt today

Raipur, December 31

Protesting rising incidents of farmers’ suicide in the state, the Congress will stage dharna against government at Kharsiya on Sunday. The dharna will be organised by Kharsiya Block Congress Committee (BCC) and would be attended by PCC president Nandkumar Patel and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey.

According to information, Patel and Choubey along with PCC general secretary and Raigarh Lok Sabha incharge Bhupesh Baghel will leave for Kharsiya via train on Sunday morning at 7:55 am. The trio will reach Kharsiya at 11:30 am and participate in the dharna programme at 12 pm. At 2:55 pm, they will board train to return to Raipur.

The other party leaders who will participate in the dharna programme are PCC vice presidents - Krishna Kumar Gupta and Pushpa Devi Singh, Raigarh legislator Shakrajeet Nayak, Sarangarh legislator Padma Manhar and Lailunga legislator Hriday Ram Rathiya.

The PCC general secretary Subhash Sharma informed that the senior leadership had directed party’s all local leaders including former MLAs, public representatives and office-bearers of state, district and block levels to mandatorily attend the dharna programmed.

Since the dharna programme is being organised at PCC head Patel’s legislative constituency area, he had asked the DCC and BCC presidents to bring massive crowd at dharna spot to make it successful.

Governor, CM, ministers greet people on New Year

Raipur, December 31

Governor Shekhar Dutt, Chief Minister Raman Singh, all the state ministers and parliamentary secretaries have extended their greetings to people of Chhattisgarh on the eve of New Year on Saturday.

In his address, Dutt said it was time to take lesson from the past and decide to go ahead with renewed energy and inspiration. He prayed that the New Year will bring prosperity, good health, fortunes and peace in state.

In his address, the CM hoped that everyone’s dream would be fulfilled on New Year. “With nine new districts coming into existence in 2012, it will be special year for the citizens,” he said. He hoped that the people of new districts would get benefitted by all the governmental schemes launched for them. He also prayed for the progress and prosperity of the state.

The ministers who wished New Year greetings are – Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar, PWD Minister Brijmohan Agrawal, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ramvichar Netam, Agriculture Minister Chandrashekhar Sahu, Health Minister Amar Agrawal, Water Resources Minister Hemchand Yadav, urban Administration Minister Rajesh Munat, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Punnulal Mohle, PHE Minister Kedar Kashyap, Women and Child Development Minister Lata Usendi, Forest Minister Vikram Usendi and Commerce and Industries Minister Dayaldas Baghel.

The parliamentary secretaries who extended their New Year greetings are – Bhaiyyalal Rajwade, Vijay Baghel, Mahesh Gagda, Yuddhaveer Singh Judeo, Bharat Sai, Siddhnath Paikra, Komal Janghel, Omprakash Rathiya and Dr Siyaram Sahu.

Open House in Rajbhavan today

Raipur, December 31

Governor Shekhar Dutt will meet citizens at Rajbhavan in an Open House programme to be organised on the occasion of New Year on Sunday. In Open House, any of the citizens can meet Governor. The Open House will be organised from 11 am to 1 pm.

Cong makes slight change in district-level workers’ meet

Meetings to start from newly formed districts in north Chhattisgarh

Meeting in Bemetara to be held in next phase

Raipur, December 30, 2011 

The Congress has made slight change in its upcoming district-level workers’ meetings in the first week of January 2012. Earlier, the party was scheduled to hold workers’ meeting in four districts from January 3-6, but according to the new plan the meetings will conducted from January 4-6.

The party has also postponed meeting in newly formed district Bemetara and has decided to include the region in the next phase.

Now, the meetings will begin from new district formed in North Chhattisgarh Balrampur. The meeting will start at 11 am in this region on January 4. On the same day, another district-level workers’ meeting will be organised at Surajpur at 2 pm.

On January 5, meeting will be organised at Koria district while on the following day, the meeting will be held at Mungeli.

The meetings in all the districts would be attended by AICC general secretary and state Congress incharge BK Hariprasada, incharge secretary Bhakt Charandas, PCC president Nandkumar Patel, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey, deputy CLP leader Rampukar Singh, Chandrabhan Singh Barmate, Vedprakash Sharma, Dr Premsai Singh Tekam, Dr Shiv Kumar Daharia, senior party leaders, legislators along with state, district and block-level office-bearers of the party’s morchas and cells and workers.

Cong to begin New Year with dharna against govt in Kharsia

Raipur, December 30, 2011 

The Congress will begin its New Year with dharna against the government in Kharsia on January 1, 2012. In its protest, the party will raise the issue of continuous suicidal incidents of farmers in the state. The dharna will be organised by Kharsia Block Congress Committee (BCC). PCC president Nandkumar Patel and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey will leave for Kharsia at morning on January 1.

The Congress has been raising the issue of farmers’ suicide for the past couple of months. It has continuously demanded from the government to provide Rs 270 paddy bonus to the farmers, free electricity up to five HP for irrigation, quality seeds, fertilisers and pesticides and compensation to those whose crops either had damaged due to floods or scanty rainfall in the year 2011.

The Congress alleges that the farmers were compelled to commit suicide because the government had not taken any initiative to help them to come out of deep financial crisis and debts.

The party leadership said that the recent suicidal incident in Kharsia in which a farmer of village Tiyur - Satish Kumar Yadav decided to end his life was a glaring example of farmers’ woes in the state.

The other party leaders who will participate in the dharna programme are party vice presidents Krishna Kumar Gupta and Pushpa Devi Singh, PCC general secretary and Raigarh Lok Sabha incharge Bhupesh Baghel, legislators of Raigarh district – Shakrajeet Nayak, Padma Manhar, Hriday Ram Rathiya and party’s all the office-bearers of state, district, morchas and cells living in Raigarh.

Increase age limit for appearing in PSC: NSUI

Raipur, December 30, 2011

The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has demanded from the government to increase age limit for appearing in Public Service Commission (PSC) exams. “The current age limit of 35 years should be increased to 37 years so that more number of aspirants could fight PSC exams,” said the NSUI state president Devendra Yadav on Friday.

Taking a dig at the Commission for remaining in controversy and failing to the conduct regular exams, Yadav said, “The PSC has not organised any exam in the past four years. Before that, the exams conducted by it in 2003, 2005 and 2008 remained in controversy.”

He said the PSC should streamline its operations and start conducting regular exams for different departments. “In last 11 year, the Commission has filled only 450 posts against 2500 vacant ones,” he added.

Yadav warned of launching aggressive offensive against the PSC if it would further fail to organise exams without any controversy.

Govt must stop ignoring farmers: Cong

Raipur, December 30, 2011

The Congress has asked the government to stop ignoring farmers and urged it to provide them Rs 270 paddy bonus as well as quality seeds and fertilisers through societies at reasonable rates. “The farmers are committing suicide. Many have stopped farming and have started other works for livelihood. Still the government is apathetic towards them,” said former PCC president Dhanendra Sahu, PCC vice presidents Kawasi Lakhma, Pradeep Choubey and party’s chief spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi jointly on Friday.

“The government is anti-farmer. Hence it has held their paddy bonus amounting Rs 2287 crore for the past couple of years. If it will release the bonus amount, the farmers will be able to clear their loans. Besides, their financial problems will also be solved to a large extent,” the Congmen said.

They further pointed that production cost of crops too had increased in the recent past due to unavailability of fertilisers. “The societies do not have sufficient stock of fertilisers. Therefore, the farmers are bound to buy fertilisers from black marketeers at high rates,” they said.

“Similarly, the Seeds Development Corporation does not have adequate stock of seeds. The available types of seeds in the corporation are of poor quality as either they do no sprout or the plants die after sometime,” the Congmen said.

“The farmers are even getting duplicate pesticides which are damaging their crops. Siyaram Yadav from village Girola (Abhanpur block) committed suicide because his crops destroyed when he used pesticides which were of inferior quality and eventually he failed to clear his debts,” they said.

BMC official did banking transaction of Rs 28.40 cr in one day

Cong says the municipal incurred loss of Rs 28 lakh interest

Raipur, December 29, 2011

The Bilaspur Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Yashwant Kumar has entangled in deep controversy as he is alleged to have done massive banking transaction of Rs 28.40 crore of the municipal in one day with an ulterior motive to benefit an individual or group. The Congress has strongly objected over Kumar’s act terming it dubitable and has urged Chief Minister Raman Singh to take prompt cognisance of the matter. The BMC Mayor Vani Rao, who hails from Congress, too has sent a letter to Chief Secretary P Joy Oommen on December 22, 2011 and requested him to take suitable action against Kumar.

The Congress spokesperson Rajesh Bissa informed that Kumar refused to give explanation to BMC Mayor on his banking transaction when the latter inquired and bluntly said ‘he did it because he had right to do it’.

Kumar is said to have abruptly opened account for the BMC at Central Bank on October 27, 2011. Then on the following day, he issued three cheques on the name of Central Bank. The cheques belonged to BMC’s accounts in SBI (amount Rs 10 crore), Dena Bank (total amount Rs 13.40 crore from two accounts) and bank of Maharashtra (amount Rs 5 crore).

“Since the amount was withdrawn before completion of third quarter of the financial year, i.e. December 31, the BMC incurs loss of about Rs 28 lakh,” Bissa said demanding from the CM to compensate the loss by fixing responsibility and recovering the amount from the guilty official.

He said transaction of such a huge amount without any reason comes under grave financial crime and urged the CM to ask the Finance department to conduct probe into the matter.

He alleged that Kumar acted on directives of one of the state ministers. “No official can take such a big step without protection of the government,” he said.

He further demanded inquiry into immediate loans sanctioned by Central Bank to the firms or companies after deposition of Rs 28.40 crore by Kumar. “The relation of these companies with the people related to the government should also be probed,” he added.

Govt responsible for farmers’ suicide: Cong

Raipur, December 29, 2011

Expressing its concern over rising suicidal cases of farmers in the state, Congress has held government responsible for it. “It is bad governance of the government which compelled the farmers to take such rash step,” said the PCC president Nandkumar Patel and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey on Thursday.

Pointing suicidal incident of village Tiyur under Kharsia block of Raigarh district where young farmer Satish Kumar Yadav killed himself on December 28, 2011, the duo said the government completely failed to check the trend because it was baulking to address the problems of farmers.

Just a day before his suicidal act, Yadav was looted in the local market – Mangal Bazaar while he was returning home after withdrawing Rs 42000 from bank, the amount he got against selling paddy at procurement centre.

“When he rushed to police station to lodge complaint about the loot incident, he was shown the doors. The cops simply refused to file FIR. Severely upset by the indifferent attitude of the cops, Yadav killed himself. Certainly, the episode exposes insensitive faces of the police and the government as well,” the duo said.

They informed that the police had not yet registered a case against the unidentified criminals who victimised Yadav. “The Congress workers have submitted a memorandum in this regard to the Raigarh Collector and if no action would be taken instantly then we will stage dharna against the government in Kharsia in the coming days,” the duo warned.

They said majority of the farmers were heavily indebted under loans but the government had not taken any initiative to give them relief.

“The potato farmer Bal Bhagwan Yadav from Pandrapat village in Jashpur district committed suicide because he could save only Rs 2000 after clearing all his loans from the earnings from his total crop production. Two farmers from legislative constituency of Agriculture Minister Chandrashekhar Sahu killed themselves after failing to clear their debts,” they said.

Citing figures of National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) they said about 12405 people committed suicide in 2009-10. “Over 75 percent of the state population depends on agriculture. Hence, the proportion of farmers committing suicide every year could easily be comprehended,” they added.

They said another key reason of farmers’ woes and exploitation was increasing black marketing of fertilisers and seeds.

Cong stages dharna against proposed toll plaza spot

Raipur, December 29, 2011

The Congress on Thursday staged dharna against proposed toll plaza spot within municipal limits near Sundar Nagar at Ring Road No 1 terming it illegal and has demanded from government to immediately stop the construction. The Congress will also submit memorandums in this connection to Collector Dr Rohit Yadav and SP Dipanshu Kabra on Friday.  

“The implementing agency DS Vicon is illegally constructing toll plaza near the city population. This is clear violation of the agreement between the government and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) done in 2006 under which it has been clearly mentioned that there would be only one toll plaza from Arang to Raipur fourlane road (NH-6) and it should be built at least ten kilometers away from the municipal limits,” said DCC Raipur City president Inderchand Dhariwal.

Notably, DS Vicon had to cancel twice the spots for toll plaza it had selected near Deendayal Upadhyay Nagar and Sarona at Ring Road No 1 due to protests of the locals as well political parties.

This time again, the locals dwelling on both sides of Ring Road No 1 have decided to jointly protest construction of toll plaza at new proposed spot. The Congress has hinted that it would launch aggressive offensive against the government if the toll plaza spot would not be shifted out of city.

Kukreja meets PWD Minister

Raipur, December 29, 2011

The president of Raipur North Youth Congress Sunil Kukreja met PWD Minister Brijmohan Agrawal at his residence and wished his early recovery on Thursday. On the occasion, Kukreja was accompanied by Congress leaders Anand Kukreja and Rupchand Kukreja.

Congress celebrates its 127th foundation day

Raipur, December 28, 2011

The Congress members celebrated 127^th foundation day of their party at Congress Bhawan on Wednesday. On the occasion, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey hoisted flag and said he was proud to be a member of Congress which is serving the nation for 127 years.

When he learnt that despite information the party corporators at RMC and BCC presidents did not turn up to participate in the foundation day programme, Choubey asked DCC Raipur City president to serve notices to the absentees.

The programme was also addressed by former MP Keyur Bhushan, Satyanarayan Sharma, MLAs Amitesh Shukla and Kawasi Lakhma, PCC general secretary Ramesh Warlyani, party’s chief spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi, chief organiser of PCC Seva Dal Ashok Raj Ahuja and national secretary of Mahila Congress Ayesha Siddiqui.

The partymen who attended the programme were – Raipur North MLA Kuldeep Juneja, PCC general secretary Subhash Sharma, DCC Raipur City president Inderchand Dhariwal, party spokespersons Sushil Anand Shukla and Amir Ali Farishta, Kalpana Patel, Anjay Shukla, Sanjay Pathak, Ambar Shukla, Sheikh Shakeel and others.

BJP leadership not serious on strong Lokpal: Karma

Raipur, December 28, 2011

Former leader of opposition in state Assembly and Congress leader Mahendra Karma on Wednesday alleged that BJP’s senior leadership was not serious on strong Lokpal. “With the BJP refraining from voting in favour of Centre’s proposal to give constitutional status to Lokpal in Lok Sabha on December 27 clearly indicates that it does not want strong Lokpal Bill to be passed in the House,” charged Karma.

“The BJP does not want to uproot corruption but instead it simply wants to take political mileage by raising this issue,” he said.

“Now, the Centre cannot put pressure on state governments to constitute Lokpal as it failed to get constitutional status for it in the parliament due to BJP’s U-turn in the last minute. This means, there will be no change in the existing fragile system in the states,” Karma said.

He said amendments could be done in Lokpal but with no constitutional status, it would never become an autonomous and powerful body.