Per capita income of MNREGA labourers stable: Choubey

 Raipur, March 30, 2012

The government’s claims that there has been marked rise in per capita income of state are empty boastings as financial condition of MNREGA labourers is still the same. Leader of opposition at state Assembly Ravindra Choubey negated government’s claims while during debate on Appropriation Bill in the House on Friday.

“It is not the per capital income of MNREGA labourers or poor but of some other people about whom the government is talking,” he said.

“How will development take place if agricultural lands and water will reduce? The government has neither announced any agriculture-based industry nor made any proposal for it. Rather it has turned the farmers’ market into the market of duplicate fertilisers and pesticides,” he said.

He lashed the Agriculture Minister for refusing to admit that farmers committed suicide because of heavy debts and cited example of his own constituency where a farmer killed himself when he failed to clear the loan amount.

On education sector he asked whether the government had ensured ten percent admission of poor students in private schools according to Centre’s directives. “Of course, the government is apathetic towards this but unfortunately it is not even improving the municipal schools which are in abject condition. While these schools lack basic infrastructure, the students too could not afford a pair socks, uniform, etc,” he said.

He pointed that the BJP’s national leaders had addressed their partymen at Madhav Rao Sapre School ground several time but in nine years the government did not even change old and ramshackle rooftop of the school.

He said the eight major roads, to be upgraded into fourlane roads on built-operate-transfer (BOT) system, was not for public but for convenient coal transportation. “If the PWD Minister seriously wants to improve road infrastructure then why the roads of Birgaon and Urla are in dejected condition,” he asked.

He said the government fund was not reaching to right hands due to corruption. “The government has failed in all fronts and the people of Chhattisgarh are severely annoyed by it,” he added.

If the government claims to have taken developmental measures for different sectors then why the Sukma college lacks teaching staff, why there is no doctor in Bijapur’s hospital and why various posts of patwari and other categories are vacant till date,” he asked.

He said none of the proposed industries in Bastar had started nor any local tribal had got job. “Just by signing an MoU to start a production unit in Chhattisgarh, the shares of Tata and Essar shoots up and they earn crores but the local people never get benefited even though,” he said.

He said the government simply makes announcements and ignores implementation part.

He said the government gives warm welcome to the industrialists and capitalists while suppress the voices of farmers and common people. “When the farmers, tribals and Shikshakarmis raise their voice and make genuine demands, the government resorts to lathicharge,” he said.

“The government takes time in formulating plans for farmers while promptly do the same for industrialists,” he said.