Patel asks office-bearers to mandatorily attend party programmes

Raipur, May 18, 2011

The PCC president Nandkumar Patel has asked the party’s office-bearers at state, district and block levels to pose seriousness towards the jobs assigned to them and mandatorily attend all Congress programmes. He said the party would only strengthen when all the office-bearers would gathers during every event. Patel’s instructions came while he and leader of Congress Legislators’ Party (CLP) Ravindra Choubey were taking meetings of office-bearers of district and block committees on Wednesday.

Patel said the office-bearers would have to become more responsible and active in their respective areas. He directed them to put their posters and banners in their assigned areas.

He advised the office-bearers to avoid entangling in blamegame with their own partymen and stay away from controversies. He also invited suggestions from them to consolidate the organisation.

Patel further asked the office-bearers to intensify their activities in their areas including raising public issues, increasing membership and publicising schemes launched by Congress-led UPA at Centre for the people of the state.

Patel’s meetings with the office-bearers of different district and block committees is said to be an assessment exercise before his final decision to reshuffle in the organisation.

On Wednesday, Patel and Choubey met the office-bearers of district and block committees of five districts – Raipur (Urban and Rural), Mahasamund, Kabirdham, Durg (Urban and Rural) and Rajnandgaon (Urban and Rural).

The duo met the office-bearers of Bilaspur (Urban and Rural), Janjgir-Champa, Korba (Urban and Rural), Kanker and Dhamtari on Tuesday.

Cong: Why CM kept mum when Jethmalani defended Sen?

Raipur, May 17, 2011

Targeting Chief Minister Raman Singh’s statement for raising his objection to the Centre regarding induction of alleged naxal sympathiser Dr Binayak Sen in Planning Commission’s Steering Committee on health, the Congress asked him to clarify reasons for his mysterious silence when his own partymen Ram Jethmalani defended Sen in High Court and Supreme Court.

“This is sheer double standard. The CM completely ignores his own party fellow’s promptness to extend legal counseling to Sen. However, when the Centre inducts Sen in Planning Commission’s health panel after finding him apt for it, the CM protests saying that he would not attend Commission’s meetings. This is not good for Chhattisgarh. The CM should immediately take back his decision,” said the PCC president Nand Kumar Patel while interacting with the media persons at Congress Bhawan on Tuesday.

He also slammed the CM for his remark against Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj and said it was unseemly. “The CM terms Bhardwaj as Congress’ agent which is insult to the latter who is holding Constitutional post. At least, people of Chhattisgarh do not use this language and expect similar decency from their CM. For this, the CM should take back his words,” said Patel.

Cong to take Rahul’s help to agitate against BJP govt

Raipur, May 17, 2011

The Congress will son launch massive agitation against the BJP government for which it has decided to take AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s help. The PCC president Nandkumar Patel informed that he would soon give an invitation to the Gandhi scion to guide the state Congress unit in launching its offensive against the BJP government. Patel disclosed the Congress’ plans while he was interacting with the media persons at Congress Bhawan on Tuesday.

He said the state unit was highly inspired by Rahul’s agitation against the acquisition of farmers’ lands in Uttar Pradesh.  “The farmers in Chhattisgarh are also facing similar conditions. The state government has signed pact with 40 industrialists to establish power plans in one district – Janjgir-Champa. The farmers in other parts of the state too are infuriated by the government’s indifferent attitude towards them,” Patel said.

He has recently submitted a complaint list against the BJP government to the party’s national leadership and the Union ministers of different departments at New Delhi.

Patel informed that he had prominently complained to the Union Minister of State for Home, Telecommunications, Post and IT Gurudas Kamath regarding misuse of fund provided by the Centre to Chhattisgarh for development in naxal-infested districts. “The Centre had given Rs 25 crore each to ten naxal-hit districts of the state but majority of the fund was used on other works like construction of officers’ club in Kabeerdham. The reports of fund misuse in Kanker, Narayanpur and Bijapur districts too are startling,” he said.

He further said that soon a delegation of state Congress leaders would soon meet President Pratibha Patil and submit a charge sheet against the BJP government along with documental evidence.

“If required, we will also file public litigation against the BJP government,” he said.

AAY to benefit over 24000 SBT families

Raipur, May 17, 2011

The state government has included over 24000 families of belonging to Specially Backward Tribal (SBT) community in the list of beneficiaries under its Antyodaya Anna Yojna (AAY). The officials of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection informed that the families belong to Abhoojhmadia, Baiga, Pahadi Korwa, Birhore and Kamar tribes.

The department has issued AAY ration cards to these families considering them the most impoverished ones, said officials. Under AAY, the beneficiaries receive 35 kg rice every month at the rate of Re 1 per kg. The people from SBT community dwell in nine districts of the state which are - Raipur, Narayanpur, Kabirdham, Bilaspur, Korba, Sarguja, Jashpur, Raigarh and Dhamtari.

Over 64000 quintals iodised salt allocated

Raipur, May 17, 2011

The state government has allocated over 64147 quintals iodised salt for impoverished class of the state under public distribution system (PDS) for February 2011. The government is distributing two kg iodised salt free-of-cost to the beneficiaries under its Mukhyamantri Khadyann Sahayata Yojana.

The iodised salt would be provided from more than 10500 fair price shops across the state, informed the officials of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department on Tuesday.

The highest amount of iodised salt has been allocated to Raipur district i.e. 8705 quintals.

The iodised salt allocated in other districts are (in quintals) - Kabeerdham (Kawardha) – 2180, North Bastar (Kanker) – 1870, Korba – 2864, Koria – 4992, Jashpur – 3036, Janjgir-Champa - 4106, South Bastar (Dantewada) – 1798, Durg - 7946, Dhamtari - 1824, Narayanpur - 389, Bastar (Jagdalpur) – 3990, Bilaspur – 7184, Bijapur – 843, Mahasamund – 3088, Rajnandgaon – 3367, Raigarh – 3789 and Sarguja (Ambikapur) – 6722.

Govt procures 8 lakh gunny sacks of tendu leaves

Raipur, May 17, 2011

The state government has procured about eight lakh standard gunny sacks of tendu leaves worth Rs 71.50 crore till May 16, 2011. The officials of the Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce Co-operative Federation (CSMFPCF) informed that the arrival of gunny sacks containing tendu leaves had increased in all the 10000 collection centres of 899 forest produce cooperative societies spread in 32 forest divisions of the state. The federation has already deposited Rs 53 crore to the bank accounts of the forest produce cooperative societies, informed officials. Mahasamund forest division had procured 70505 gunny sacks of tendu leaves and is on top of the highest procuring regions. Notably, the state government had recently increased the collection rate for tendu leaf pluckers by Rs 100 and now they are receiving Rs 800 per standard bag. The officials informed that over 13.50 lakh families dwelling in the forests were getting benefited by the hiked collection rate for tendu leaves.

Cong awareness drive against BJP govt from May 25

Will start from Ambikapur

Hariprasada, Vora, Kidwai invited to join the campaign

Raipur, May 16, 2011

After losing Bastar by-poll, the Congress is once again preparing to launch awareness campaign against the BJP government for failing to maintain law and order, check rising corruption and keep promise done to the people of Chhattisgarh. The drive will begin from May 25, 2011 from Ambikapur. The party has invited state Congress general secretary incharge BK Hariprasada, AICC treasurer Motilal Vora and Rajya Sabha member Mohsina Kidwai to join its campaign.

“The government has continuously deceived people – be it a promise like Rs 270 paddy bonus, free power to farmers or provision of basic facilities to people. The crime rate in the state too has increased to manifold under the BJP regime. The Maoists have also expanded their domain in the state due to government apathy. Besides, the schemes and projects launched for the people are not reaching to the end beneficiaries due to corrupt system. Considering the government’s attitude to exploit people, we have decided to launch awareness drive across the state in every division,” said PCC president Nandkumar Patel.

He informed that the party was earlier scheduled to commence its awareness drive from Bilaspur division, but then changed its plan and decided to kick-start the campaign from Ambikapur (Sarguja division) from May 25. The party’s Ambikapur legislator TS Singhdeo has been asked to make essential arrangements for drive in the region apart from ensuring to gather massive crowd for the public rally which would be addressed by Hariprasada, Vora, Kidwai, Patel, leader of Congress Legislators’ Party (CLP) Ravindra Choubey and Korba Parliamentarian Dr Charandas Mahant.

The party will then organise public rally under its awareness campaign in Bilaspur on May 26. In this connection, Patel has given necessary instructions to the Bilaspur District Congress Committee president Baijnath Chandrakar. Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi has given his consent to attend the party rally at Bilaspur.

The other senior party leaders including Vidya Charan Shukla, Satyanarayan Sharma, former PCC president Dhanendra Sahu and legislators are likely to attend the party rallies in both Ambikapur and Bilaspur.

In box

BJP govt should reduce VAT on petro products

Raipur, May 16: Attempting to justify the hike in petroleum prices by oil companies for the ninth time in past nine months, the PCC president Nandkumar Patel said that there was no other option left for the oil majors. “The centre cannot be blamed for hike because it has deregulated the oil prices much earlier. The hike in the petroleum prices is sole decision of the oil companies and the Congress-led UPA is nowhere in the picture,” he said.

When indicated that the BJP had launched massive protest against the Centre with its demand to rollback oil price hike, Patel said, “If the BJP claims to be the well-wisher of the common man then why is it not announcing reduction in VAT (Value Added Tax) petroleum products so that people could some relief from the high oil prices.”

He further said that the BJP was going through lean patch as it completely failed to impress voters during the Assembly elections in five states recently. He said the BJP fielded about 800 candidates in the five states but only five succeeded to win the legislative seats. He said it was high time for the BJP to introspect instead of giving suggestions to the Congress.

Patel to restructure party in both urban, rural areas

Will convene meetings of district & block presidents today, tomorrow

Raipur, May 16, 2011

The PCC president Nandkumar Patel has decided to restructure the party in both urban and rural areas for which he would convene meetings of the presidents of district and block committees on Tuesday and Wednesday.

After Bastar by-election debacle, Patel is completely shocked and unable to find reasons for the defeat. This was the first time that the party had shown united effort any election in the past seven years. Till recently, the party was fragmented due to unruly factions, but with two-pronged change in the state unit, i.e. appointment of AICC general secretary BK Hariprasada as Chhattisgarh Congress general secretary incharge and Patel as new PCC chief, the workers looked reinvigorated in the Bastar by-poll.

Patel wants to keep the spirit of unity alive among the workers for which he is likely to ask the district and block presidents to intensify party activities in their respective regions by delegating assignments to every worker, informed sources.

He is further upset with the party’s diminishing presence in both urban and rural areas for which he would also urge the district and block representatives to launch membership drives to increase Congress workers at ground level.

His meetings with the district and block presidents is also significant because he had recently hinted to replace many existing faces with the newer ones. Through meeting, he would assess whether to stick to his earlier decision or to give another opportunity to the ones who are in his target list.

On Tuesday, he will meet the heads of district and block committees of five districts – Bilaspur (Urban and Rural), Janjgir-Champa, Korba (Urban and Rural), Kanker and Dhamtari from 1-3 pm. He will spend about 30 minutes with the representatives of each district.

On May 18, he will meet the presidents of district and block committees of five other districts – Raipur (Urban and Rural), Mahasamund, Kabirdham, Durg (Urban and Rural) and Rajnandgaon (Urban and Rural) from 1-4:30 pm.

Remove Pendra Road SDM, demands diploma engineers

Protest against sub engineer Sukant Sidar’s arrest

Stage day-long dharna in Raipur, Bilaspur, Bastar &Sarguja

Raipur, May 16, 2011

The Chhattisgarh Diploma Engineers’ Association (CDEA) has demanded from the state government to remove Pendra Road SDM Bheem Singh for taking illegal action against sub engineer Sukant Sidar and arresting him under section 107,116 of IPC. In this connection, the CDEA staged day-long dharna in all the four divisions – Raipur, Bilaspur, Bastar and Sarguja and submitted a memorandum to Chief Secretary P Joy Oommen on Monday. The CDEA also demanded judicial probe into Sidar’s arrest episode.

The association’s president Surendra Tuteja, vice president Zahid Khan and general secretary Sapan Kumar Puttatunda jointly termed the SDM’s action as interference into the works of technical department.

Sidar who is posted in Public Works Department (Electrical & Mechanical division) was arrested on directives of SDM Bheem Singh on May 12 at Pendra Road.

Tuteja said Sidar was punished for the crime he had not committed. “He was discharging his duty sincerely but the SDM took unjust decision against him by asking the police to put him behind the bars,” he said.

The SDM did not even bothered to follow the rules of Civil Services before taking action against Sidar, he said.

He informed that the SDM had asked Sidar to carry out electrification works of newly constructed Additional Collector building in Pendra Road in April 2011. However, when the work did not start, the SDM summoned notice to Sidar under section 107, 116 of IPC and asked him to appear on May 13.

“The sub engineer is not authorised to take decision to carry out any work unless he gets approval from his higher authorities. He did the same and sent the estimated proposal to his bosses. “He informed about this to the SDM on May 12, but the latter straightaway instructed the police to arrest Sidar,” Tuteja said.

“At least, the SDM should have first inquired about the status of Sidar’s estimated proposal from his senior officials. Besides, Sidar is a new sub engineer in the department who joined just two and a half year back. He is still in the learning stage. The SDM should not have treated such a junior person in this manner,” he said.

“We have informed about this unfortunate incident to the Collector Bilaspur district, Bilaspur Division Commissioner and the Chief Minister earlier. Now, the government would not remove the SDM and order probe into the matter in one week then the association will launch aggressive agitation across the state,” he warned.