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.