Opposition reminds govt about its unfulfilled poll promises

Raipur, December 19, 2011

The opposition reminded the government about the poll promises it made to the people in 2008 during the third day of the state Assembly’s winter session on Monday. The Congress legislators Dr Shiv Kumar Daharia, Guru Rudra Kumar and Pratima Chandrakar while debating in favour of the opposition’s no confidence motion moved in the House alleged that anarchy prevailed in the state and people had lost trust on the government.

“The BJP government carries out works in only those departments where it gets commission. The officials even ignore the instructions of Chief Minister who reviews works of their departments,” Daharia charged.

“In Chhattisgarh, majority of the government schools do not have toilets. All the funds go into the pockets of corrupts. The fund released by the government for hand pumps from 2007-08 to 2010-11 remained unspent. Where has the fund gone? The condition of PMGSY roads is also pathetic in rural belts. Still, the Panchayat and Rural Development Minister do not have time to the visit rural belts,” Daharia said.

He further pointed that the government was forcibly rehabilitating forest dwellers against their will. “According to Centre’s instructions, the state governments cannot rehabilitate the villagers unless everyone agrees for the proposal. Besides, the state government is also supposed to give Rs ten lakh cash and five acre land to each rehabilitated family. However, the government is following none of the mandatory rules,” he said.

Satnami community will reply BJP in polls: Rudra Kumar

Congress MLA Guru Rudra Kumar said the ruling party did injustice to the scheduled caste people (SC) by reducing their reservation percentage. “The Satnami community is severely hurt by the government’s decision. It has shown its ire by not inviting the CM in its massive annual function on the occasion of Guru Ghasidas Jayanti this year,” he said.

“The Satnami community will give strong reply to the BJP in next Assembly elections,” he added.

He alleged that the SC population figure sent by the state government to the Centre was wrong. “The state informed that the SC population is 11.7 percent while the actual figure is 18 percent,” he said.

The BJP legislator Krishnamurthy Bandhi interrupted Rudra Kumar and advised the opposition to put pressure on chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes PL Punia to increase the reservation percentage of the SC community.

To counter Bandhi, Congress MLA Dharmjeet Singh asked him whether he was satisfied with the state government’s decision to bring down SC reservation to 12 percent.

Rudra Kumar said that the opposition would not mind if the ruling party sends letter to Punia increase SC reservation.

Govt did nothing to empower women: Pratima

Congress MLA Pratima Chandrakar targeted the government for not taking any measures for women and children. “The government has done nothing in the direction of women empowerment. The Women and Child Development Department could not launch any effective programme to make the women self-reliant,” she said.

She pointed that misuse of funds in distribution of sarees to the women and medical kits to the Aanganbadi workers affected majority of the projects. “It is strange that now the Aanganbadi workers are being recruited on directives of government officials. This is sheer mockery of panchayati raj system as the government has virtually snatched the basic right of the elected panchayat representatives,” she said.

She further raised the issue paddy procurement system terming it inconvenient for farmers and said they were not getting actual price of their crops due to corrupt officials. She said it was surprising that despite reducing crop area the government claimed to have procured large quantity of paddy.