Govt interference in PSC works objectionable: Cong

Raipur, November 24, 2012

Congress on Saturday said the government’s decision to take direct control over Public Service Commission (PSC) was an objectionable and undemocratic move.

“The government has decided to interfere into PSC works by constituting a hearing committee. The PSC is a constitutional body and any type of government control over it is unconstitutional and unacceptable,” said Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla.

“The government is trying to start a wrong trend by making its mindset to transgress in PSC orbit as by doing this it would only put credibility of the commission at stake,” he said.

“In this scenario, the probability of government’s interference into PSC exams and results would be more. The Congress will strongly oppose any such step of the BJP government,” he said.

Hitting at the PSC for failing to conduct exams successfully and without controversy, he held the government responsible for it and said the latter’s recent decision would further lower the reputation of the commission.

“The parameters to appointment chairman and members of commission should be honesty, high educational qualification and skilled administrative capability but in Chhattisgarh one is picked for the job on the basis his or her party/individual loyalty,” he said.

“The commission officials who are not discharging their duty responsibly should be sacked and honest and capable ones must be inducted into the system,” he demanded.

“The PSC in every state is the major source of job opportunities for talented youth but in Chhattisgarh it has become corrupt service commission due to its lethargic functioning, grafts and frequent political interference,” he said.

Cong gheraoes NSA team at Tatibandh

Demands repairing of ramshackle Ring Road No 2 

Raipur, November 24, 2012

The police on Saturday detained large number of Congress workers at Tatibandh for gheraoing and showing black flags to nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA) team with their demand of provision of basic facilities in the locality and repairing of ramshackle Ring Road No 2, i.e. road from Tatibandh chowk to Bhanpuri chowk.

The protesters led by party spokesperson Mahendra Chhabda alleged that Ring Road No 2 could not be repaired due to neglectful attitude of Raipur West MLA and housing and environment minister Rajesh Munat.

“The Tatibandh block Congress committee (BCC) will launch massive agitation against the government if the road would not be repaired in coming days,” Chhabda warned.

Besides Chhabda, the prominent Congress workers who were arrested during their protest were Santosh Agrawal, Avtar Singh Saini, Rajendra Singh, Nandan Jha, Baljeet Singh Bhuttar, Bhagwanu Nayak, Shiv Shyam Shukla, Ajay Agrawal, Gurjeet Garcha, etc.

Cong rally under SBA at Azad chowk tomorrow

Raipur, November 24, 2012

Congress will organise a public rally on concluding day of its shahar bachao abhiyan (SBA) at Azad chowk on November 26. The rally will be addressed by party’s state unit president Nandkumar Patel, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey and other senior leaders.

The principal opposition had started SBA to counter government’s nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA) on November 19. Through SBA, the party is persistently targeting the ruling BJP for failing to provide basic facilities to the urban population.

The state unit leadership has assigned the district and block units to oppose government NSA camps by taking out protest rallies and submit memorandums with demand to cut down hiked power tariff, property tax, water tax and integrated tax.

At Azad chowk rally, the party aims to hit the government for trespassing rights of civic bodies.

“The government has actually snatched the power and rights given to the civic bodies under 74^th amendment of Constitution of India. Its NSA is mere deception as it never took initiative to address the problems of urbanites in past nine years,” said PCC spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla.

Patel, Choubey, Shukla in Kanker today

Under its shahar bachao abhiyan (SBA) and to oppose nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA), the PCC president Nandkumar Patel, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey and other party leaders will lead the partymen in protest rally at Kanker on Sunday.

Hariprasada arriving tomorrow

Raipur, November 24, 2012

AICC general secretary and state Congress incharge BK Hariprasada will arrive in state capital at evening on November 26. 

He will participate in party’s assembly-level workers’ training camp – manthan to be organised in Samri, Ramanujganj and Gunderdehi Vidhan Sabha areas on November 27, 28 and 29 respectively. 

In all the three camps, he will be accompanied by PCC president Nandkumar Patel, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey and other party leaders.

 

Jogi hints of staying in state politics despite new task

Raipur, November 23, 2012

Amidst rumours that his inclusion in central manifesto committee of Congress for Lok Sabha polls was a planed move of high command to keep him away from Chhattisgarh politics, senior party legislator Ajit Jogi on Friday indicated that he was in no mood to bid adieu to state despite new task.

“I have always worked to beef up the state Congress and will do it in future too,” he said confidently while interacting with the media persons at his residence.

“Let the people interpret about my new assignment in their own way. My inclusion in the central committee shows the trust the party supremo has on me as I have always discharged all the given responsibilities sincerely in the past,” he said.

“It is the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi who will decide my role in party politics,” he added.

Rubbishing out the reports that he was attempting to obtain ticket for his son Amit for next assembly polls, he said when he was unsure of his own ticket how come he would ascertain his son and spouse’s candidatures.

Asked whether he was preparing for LS polls, he said he was ready to contest any type of elections as directed by the party chief.

Declaration of LS poll candidates early this time

When sought the reason of central leadership sending LS poll observer much earlier in state, Jogi said the aim was to shortlist apt candidates. He predicted that the party would declare LS poll candidates early this time.

Nagar suraj a political humbug

On government’s nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA), Jogi said it was mere political humbug.

“In fact, in NSA, the word suraj (good governance) should be rather replaced by kuraj (bad governance) as the ruling party has failed to road, water, power and sanitation to the urbanites. The BJP government has become synonym of corruption, hence people are opposing its NSA,” he said.

He extolled the shahar bachao abhiyan (SBA) launched by the Congress to counter NSA terming the anti-government movement an appropriate move.

Congress believe in healthy debate in VS

Asked whether state Congress too would obstruct the upcoming winter session of state assembly as was being done by the principal opposition BJP at parliament, Jogi said his party believed in conduction of healthy debate in the House, not for washout of the session.  

Demands action against guilty in coal blocks allocation

On inter-ministerial group’s (IMG) recommendation of deallocation of Bhatgaon-II and Bhatgaon-II extension coal blocks, he said the suggestion proved that the state government did corruption in handing over the two coal blocks to Ajay Sancheti and did him the favour because he was parliamentarian from BJP.

He demanded from the government to ask CBI to file case against the guilty persons who wrongfully handed over the two coal blocks to Sancheti.

People facing inconvenience due to Mantralaya shifting 

On shift of Mantralaya to Naya Raipur, he said the government did it in haste without considering the inconvenience the people would have to face to go there with no frequent transportation facility. He asked the government to provide free conveyance to the public by plying buses from Raipur to Naya Raipur.

Govt ignoring state’s unemployed youth: Jogi

Raipur, November 23, 2012

Senior Congress MLA Ajit Jogi alleged that the government was ignoring state’s unemployed youth by not creating job opportunities for them.

“The appointment of assistant lecturers in government colleges through Public Service Commission (PSC) was last done in 1991. The BJP government released advertisement for new posts of assistant lecturers in 2009. So, for 18 years, the employed youth could not get job opportunity in colleges despite vacant posts,” he said.

He said his former Congress government in state provided relief to youth by staring contract appointment for teaching faculty in colleges. “We increased the age limit for contract appointment up to 51 years and to give benefit of such jobs to the locals we fixed the salary as Rs 8000 per month. About 1000-1500 youth got benefited through this system,” he added.

“Unfortunately, the existing government’s 2009 ad for assistant lecturers had no place for those who were teaching in colleges as contract staff for the past 18 years. The government rather adopted the rules framed for Shikshakarmis to select assistant lecturers,” he said.

“According to new rule the new age limit was 37 years. No priority was give to those who have cleared national eligibility test (NET) or state eligibility test (SLET). In fact, the government stopped conducting SLET to keep the local candidates at bay,” he alleged.

He cited the High Court (HC) verdict on plea of one Atul Kumar Sharma (Bilaspur) that said the government must direct PSC to fix age limit considering the interests of contract staff. “But the BJP government moved to Supreme Court against HC verdict. It did this to benefit the outsiders,” he said.

He said even the University Grant Commission (UGC) has not fixed any upper age limit for the lecturers. 

He said the government’s decision had rendered about 1500 contract staff unemployed.

BJP's dual face on corruption exposed: Congress

Raipur, November 22, 2012

Coming down heavily on state BJP incharge JP Nadda for his statement that said - party president Nitin Gadkari will get second term or not is an internal matter, the Congress on Thursday said the dual face of saffron party was exposed on corruption.

“It is an irony that on one side Nadda talks of ‘zero tolerance’ on corruption and on the other he tries to defend his beleaguered party chief who is facing graft allegations,” said PCC president Nandkumar Patel and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey.

“Of course, the decision to give second term to Gadkari is BJP’s internal affair but the graft allegations against him are public,” they said.

“Whether it is capital investment on the name of fake companies in his firm - Purti Power and Sugar Limited or forcible acquisition of farmers’ lands in Vidarbha or Rs 75000 crore-irrigation scam in Maharashtra, Gadkari’s involvement in these matters cannot be termed BJP’s internal affairs,” they said.

They indicated that despite ineligibility, Sancheti brothers got job of commercial exploration and mining of Bhatgaon-II and Bhatgaon-II extension coal blocks in Chhattisgarh for their closeness with Gadkari.

Cong LS observer’s first phase of CG tour ends today

Will start second phase of his tour from Nov 26 from Kanker

Raipur, November 22, 2012

The first phase of state tour of Congress observer Dr Namdev Usendi (MLA from Garhchiroli, Maharashtra) will conclude on Friday. Notably, AICC has made Usendi as party observer for Lok Sabha polls in Chhattisgarh. He is touring the state LS constituencies since November 18.

During his tour, Usendi is interacting with party-office-bearers and workers in every LS area to take their opinion for selecting candidates for general elections. He is also taking feedback from the local partymen pertaining to Congress performance in their region in previous election. Besides, he is seeking their inputs to make the party victorious in upcoming polls.

By far, Namdev has toured five LS areas – Raipur – November 18, Janjgir-Champa – November 19, Raigarh – November 20, Ambikapur – November 21 and Korba – November 22.

On Friday, i.e. on November 23 he will hold talks with local partymen in Bilaspur before concluding his first phase of tour.

His second phase of state tour will begin from Kanker LS constituency on November 26. He will tour Jagdalpur on November 27, Mahasamund – November 28, Durg – November 29 and Rajnandgaon – November 30.

Cong condemns BJPians for thrashing physio students

Raipur, November 22, 2012

Congress on Thursday condemned BJPians for thrashing physiotherapy students while the latter were staging dharna with their demand for counselling.

“In democracy, it is unconstitutional to suppress anyone’s voice. The physiotherapy students were demonstrating peacefully at dharna spot when the BJP workers reached there and not only misbehaved with them but also started beating them. The BJPians did it to gratify their leaders,” said Congress spokesperson Mahendra Chhabda.

He said the police too did not reach at dharna spot timely despite receiving information about misconduct of BJPians.

He demanded that the BJPians should tender their apology to physiotherapy students for their wrongdoing.

YC polls: Nomination papers filed for booth-level panels

Raipur, November 22, 2012

The YC polls procedures kick-started from Thursday at Congress Bhawan with filing of nomination papers by the aspirants for booth-level committees.

The YC pradesh returning officer (PRO) Harpal Singh Thakur informed that claims and objections for booth-level polls will be accepted November 23 while election symbols will be distributed on November 24. The polling will be held from November 26 to December 1.

After booth-level polls, the nomination papers for Vidhan Sabha, Lok Sabha and state committees will be filed on December 4. Scrutiny of nomination papers and distribution of election symbols will be done on December 5. The polling for VS, LS and state levels will be held on December 17 and 18.

Singh said vote counting for VS and LS committees will be done at LS headquarters on December 18 while that of state committee will be done on December 20. The results will be declared on the same day, i.e. December 20.

This time, the YC elections will be organised in 20937 booth committees. There will be five office-bearers (president – 1, vice president – 1, general secretary – 3) in every booth-committee. All the three posts of general secretary will be reserved for backward class, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and women.

Similarly, there will be ten posts each in Vidhan Sabha, Lok Sabha and state committees. In these committees, the posts of president, one post each of vice president and general secretary will be unreserved.

Singh said the candidate aspiring to contest VS, LS or state-level committees must mandatorily be the member of booth-level panel.  

It is seven-day drama, not suraj: Congress

Raipur, November 21, 2012

Terming BJP government’s nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA) as seven-day drama, the Congress on Wednesday said the campaign was merely intended to deceive to people, not to give them relief.

“In democracy, there should be uninterrupted communication between the government and public, but under BJP’s regime this system is completely missing,” said state Congress head Nandkumar Patel and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey.

“The chief minister Raman Singh should tender his apology to the residents of 168 cities of Chhattisgarh for remaining incommunicative for nine years. He should explain why he ignored them during this period, did not try to launch NSA earlier and did it only when polls are in the offing,” the duo said.

They mocked the CM for terming NSA as prototype for country. “In the backdrop of ill-facilitated urban pockets, how come the CM hope that the NSA would be widely accepted,” they asked.

They allege that the government did not believe in work but merely in wasting money in dramas like NSA.

Cong’s shahar bachao dims nagar suraj abhiyan: Shukla

Raipur, November 21, 2012

Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday claimed that despite misusing the entire machinery the government’s nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA) was overshadowed by the principal opposition’s shahar bachao abhiyan (SBA).

“The senior Congress leaders including state unit chief Nandkumar Patel and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey have participated in SBA in Raipur, Mahasamund and Rajnandgaon cities to counter the NSA. In all the three cities, the urban population has strongly opposed the government’s ‘nagar suraj drama’,” said Shukla.

“It is an irony that the BJP government refused to address grievances of urban residents for about 470 weeks and now suddenly it want to do everything for them in a week’s time. The people too understand that the NSA is nothing but a political stunt played by the ruling party to take mileage in upcoming assembly and general elections,” he said.

Cong manthan camps in three VS areas at Nov end

Raipur, November 21, 2012

Congress will hold day-long assembly-level workers’ training camp - manthan in Samri, Ramanujganj and Gunderdehi Vidhan Sabha constituencies on November 27, 28 and 29 respectively.

The manthan camps will be attended by selected booth-level workers of the specific assembly constituencies.

Notably, the Congress, with an objective to make its workers acquainted with its history and policies, is organising manthan camps in every VS area.  Besides training, the senior party leaders not only make use of this forum to interact with the workers but also to exhort them to prepare for next assembly and general elections to be held in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Through manthan camps, the senior leaders further encourage selected participants to mobilise workers for expansion of party domain in both urban and rural areas.

In addition, the senior leaders guide the participants to launch protest movements against the government by raising local as well as burning issues strongly.

All the three camps will be attended by AICC general secretary and state Congress incharge BK Hariprasada, AICC secretary and state unit secretary incharge Bhakt Charandas, PCC president Nandkumar Patel, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey, and senior party leaders.

BJP dharna a failure: Congress

Raipur, November 21, 2012

Congress on Wednesday claimed that the BJP’s dharna against Centre in all district headquarters of state was complete failure.

“The thin crowd in BJP dharna programmes in all districts confirms that the people no more believe in it and have bluntly rejected its issues,” said Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla.

“The BJP is well-aware that foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail will give major relief to the people, hence it is doing its negative publicity,” he said.

He alleged that the state BJP staged dharna to divert public attention from government’s failure and corruption prevailed in system.

“The government simply squandered state’s rich mineral resources in past nine years. It hiked power tariff, property, water and integrated taxes. The BJP dharna programme was mere deception,” he said.

 

NSA anti-people, illegal: Congress

Raipur, November 20, 2012

Congress on Tuesday alleged that the government’s nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA) was anti-people and illegal. “Through NSA, the government is snatching the constitutional rights of the civic bodies which is illegal,” said PCC president Nandkumar Patel and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey.

“The Constitution of India has given both power and responsibilities to the civic bodies, but the state government has snatched financial and administrative powers from these institutions,” the duo said.

“The provisions like drinking water, road, drain, electricity, sanitation and health come under domain of civic bodies, but in past nine years these institutions could not use their give rights due to persistent interference of the government,” they added.

The termed the BJP government as major obstacle in development and welfare of the urban population. “The ruling party is simply deceiving people on the name of NSA,” they said.

“To check the BJP government’s unconstitutional activities, the Congress was compelled to launch shahar bachao abhiyan (SBA) to counter the NSA. The people too have realised that the ruling party was approaching them through NSA because of nearing assembly polls. The government resorted to NSA because it never showed conviction in addressing public grievances in past nine years,” they said.

They pointed that the government neither succeeded in providing radical facilities to people nor in implementing public-welfare schemes effectively. “The centrally-sponsored schemes too have become major source of graft for the government machinery. Consequently, the ministers and government representatives are facing public resistance during NSA,” they said.

BJP’s remarks baseless: Chhabda

Terming remarks of BJP leaders against his party on nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA) as baseless, Congress spokesperson Mahendra Chhabda on Tuesday clarified that the principal opposition never intended to do politics on NSA and its protest was genuine and in support of people. “If the government really wants to make the NSA successful then it must immediately rollback hiked power tariff and cut down property, water and integrated taxes.

Patel, Choubey in Rajnandgaon today

PCC president Nandkumar Patel and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey will lead the Congress workers in protest rally against government under party’s shahar bachao abhiyan (SBA) at Rajnandgaon on Wednesday.

NSA: Cong workers show black flags to Munat

Raipur, November 20, 2012

Large number of Congress workers led by DCC Raipur Urban president Inderchand Dhariwal showed black flags to Housing and Environment Minister Rajesh Munat while he was interacting with people under government’s nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA) at Pt Sakharam School at Vivekanand Ashram on Tuesday.

The Congress workers reached the school sloganeering against the ruling party and urged people to join their protest movement - shahar bachao abhiyan (SBA) to mount pressure on government to provide basic facilities in urban areas.

The members of the principal opposition persistently demanded from the Minister to first ask his government to lower the hiked power tariff, increased property, water and integrated taxes, improve road conditions and ensure proper sanitation in urban areas.

The Congmen continued their demonstration for about an hour before police reached the spot and arrested about fifty of them. Meanwhile, Munat was talking to the locals about their grievances inside the school campus. Later, all the arrested demonstrators were released.

Besides Dhariwal, the prominent Congress leaders who were arrested by the police during their demonstration were Dr Niranjan Haritwal, Madan Lal Taleda, Rajesh Thakur, Alok Pandey, etc.

Markam in Mungeli today

Raipur, November 20, 2012

Pradesh Mahila Congress (PMC) president Ambika Markam will be on day-long tour to Mungeli district on Wednesday. 

She will hold talks to the local organisational members and inform them about PMC’s upcoming training camps.

 

State Mahila Congress incharge arriving tomorrow

Raipur, November 20, 2012

The Chhattisgarh Pradesh Mahila Congress (PMC) incharge Asima Mahananda will be on two-day state visit from November 22. 

The PMC secretary and spokesperson Nivedita Chatterjee informed that Mahananda will reach Raipur via Durg Intercity express at 8:30 am on November 22. 

On the same day, she will head on to Raigarh to convene meeting of the organisation’s district unit office-bearers. On November 23, she will hold meeting of organisation’s Bilaspur district unit office-bearers.

Congress opposes nagar suraj abhiyan

Takes out protest rally, 212 held, released later

Raipur, November 19, 2012

About 212 Congress leaders including state unit president Nandkumar Patel, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey and Vidyacharan Shukla were arrested by police near GE road-based Cooperative Bank while they were advancing towards Town Hall in the form of a rally to oppose the government’s nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA) and submit the memorandum to local government authorities in favour of their demands on Monday. Later, police released all the Congress leaders.

As the Congress had already announced to oppose NSA and raise issues like hike in power tariff, property tax, water tax, integrated tax and lack of radical facilities in urban areas during the government’s ambitious drive, the partymen commenced a massive protest rally from Congress Bhawan.

The rally proceeded towards Town Hall via City Kotwali chowk, Malviya road and Jaistambh chowk before it was stopped by the heavily guarded police near Cooperative Bank. There, the Congmen initially scuffled with the police to march ahead, but were subdued by the latter.

Hitting at the government over police action against Congress rally, Patel said it happened on directives of chief minister Raman Singh. “It was repressive action against us. Surely, people will give reply in coming days,” he added.

Choubey said none had authority to suppress anyone’s voice in democracy. “We were peacefully marching towards Town Hall to submit memorandum pertaining to public grievances but the government forcible stopped us and sent to jail,” he added.

Shukla urged the partymen to vow to dethrone the BJP government in coming polls.

The prominent Congress leaders who were arrested by the police were Bhupesh Baghel, Kiranmayi Nayak, Inderchand Dhariwal, Satyanarayan Sharma, Pankaj Sharma, Kuldeep Singh Juneja, Dr Haridas Bhardwaj, Vidhan Mishra, Haji Sheikh Najimuddin, Mahendra Chhabda, Sushil Anand Shukla, Ashok Raj Ahuja, etc.

Patel, Choubey, Shukla in Mahasamund today

Under its shahar bachao abhiyan (SBA) and to oppose nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA), the PCC president Nandkumar Patel, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey and Vidyacharan Shukla will lead the partymen in protest rally at Mahasamund on Tuesday.

BJP govt’s urban drive to gain votes: Jogi

Raipur, November 19, 2012

Senior Congress legislator Ajit Jogi says that the BJP government has launched nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA) to increase the party vote bank.

“The BJP conceptualised NSA when it realised that the urban voters were disillusioned by its performance,” Jogi said.

“The BJP strategists were taken aback when they analysed results of Bastar Lok Sabha bypolls (May 2010) in which although their party managed to win the seat, their candidate lagged by 29000 votes against close contender from Congress in Jagdalpur municipal area. The BJP’s shrinking mandate in urban Bastar was certainly an alarming bell for its think-tank,” Jogi said.

“As the BJP also lost key Raipur, Bilaspur, Bhilai and Rajnandgaon municipal corporations to Congress, it was compelled to resort to ideas like NSA to get back into track,” he added.

He said the ruling party had to postpone its ambitious NSA-launching programme twice in the past before it kick-started Monday.

“The reason for NSA postponement was the intelligence reports that alerted the government of negative repercussions on launch. The reports said that the people were in no mood to welcome any campaign like NSA,” Jogi said.

“The government brooded thoroughly before launching NSA as it was well-conversant of results of its gram suraj abhiyan (GSA),” he added.

“Through NSA, the government intends to reassure its workers that its mandate has not shrunk in urban areas,” he said.

BJP ignored civic problems in last 9 yrs: Cong

Raipur, November 17, 2012

Congress has alleged that after ignoring civic problems for nine years the BJP government wanted to take political benefit by launching nagar suraj abhiyan from November 19. The party levelled these allegations during the meeting of its DCC Raipur Urban meeting that held at Congress Bhawan on Saturday.

Notably, Congress has decided to oppose the government’s ambitious campaign. In this connection, all the DCC heads convened meetings in district headquarters of their respective areas.

At Raipur meeting, terming the BJP government as opportunist, DCC Raipur Urban president Inderchand Dhariwal and other leaders said the ruling party even forgot to fulfil the promises it made to the urban population of the state during 2008 assembly polls.

The chief Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi informed that similar sentiments reflected in party meetings in all the district headquarters.

“The Saturday meeting in every district unit was the preparatory one,” said Trivedi. The state-level meeting of party’s public representatives will be held on Sunday.

The party, in its Sunday meeting, will announce the strategy it has framed to gherao the government during nagar suraj abhiyan.

“The major issues the party will raise during its movement will be government’s biased attitude towards Congress public representatives in civic bodies, unorganised development or urban areas, increasing pollution, dust and mosquitoes, overflowing drains and bad roads,” Trivedi said.

Besides Dhariwal and Trivedi, the Raipur meeting was attended by RMC mayor Kiranmayi Nayak, Raipur North MLA Kuldeep Singh Juneja, DCC vice president Madan Lal Taleda, state Congress Sewa Dal organiser Ashok Raj Ahuja, all the BCC heads and office-bearers of DCC Raipur Urban and five blocks.

Govt sparing corrupts: Jogi

Raipur, November 17, 2012

Senior Congress legislator Ajit Jogi on Saturday alleged that the government was refraining from taking action against corrupts.

“Recently, the Centre’s inter-ministerial group (IMG) recommended for deallocation of Bhatgaon-II & Bhatgaon-II extension coal blocks which were allocated to Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC) in 2007. It is estimated that graft worth Rs 1025 crore has been done in handing over of the two coal blocks to the ineligible company. Evidently, the BJP government was responsible for this deal. Now, it is the government’s moral responsibility to cooperate with the CBI officials in the inquiry into the matter,” Jogi said.

He pointed that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report too reveals corruption worth Rs 4000 crore but the government, instead of taking action against corrupts, was trying to save them.

“Similarly, the Lokayukta reports disclose massive corruption in the state. The local audit reports also exposed grafts in different government departments. Unfortunately, the government remained indifferent towards these reports and did not even lodged criminal case against the guilty people,” Jogi said.

Cong mourns Bal Thackeray’s demise

Raipur, November 17, 2012

State Congress president Nandkumar Patel and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey expressed their grief over demise of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray who died after prolonged illness in Mumbai on Saturday. 

The duo prayed for the peace of the departed soul. Mourning the Sena chief’s death. 

The veteran Congress leader Vidya Charan Shukla said Thackeray was key political figure in Maharashtra politics.

PMC’s Diwali milan prog today

Raipur, November 17, 2012

Pradesh Mahila Congress (PMC) will organise Diwali milan programme at Congress Bhawan at 2 pm on Sunday. 

The PMC president Ambika Markam has invited the office-bearers of organisation’s state, district and block units to attend the Diwali milan programme.

Cong to oppose govt’s nagar suraj abhiyan

Party to remind BJP of its 2008 poll promises

Raipur, November 16, 2012

Congress has decided to oppose government’s nagar suraj abhiyan slated to be commended from November 19. The decision was taken during PCC office-bearers’ meeting convened by state unit president Nandkumar Patel at Congress Bhawan on Monday.

The party plans to mount pressure on the government for provision of radical facilities. For this, Patel asked the party leaders to mobilise workers at ward-level.

“The party will oppose the government’s ambitious campaign in all 3084 wards of the state,” said Congress spokesperson Mahendra Chhabda.

Besides, the party will remind the government of its promises made 2008 assembly elections.

“The government had made several promises to the people in its polls mandate, however fulfilled none. We will pressurise it to fulfil all its promises,” Chhabda said.

In the meeting, the mayors of Raipur, Bilaspur, Bhilai and Rajnandgaon municipal corporations complained that the government was obstructing development in their areas, not informing about the schemes and deliberately stalling release of funds allotted to their municipals as they belong to principal opposition party.

Considering this, Patel said he would convene another meeting of DCC presidents, party mayors, opposition leaders and public representatives of civic bodies at Congress Bhawan on November 18 to give final shape to Congress movement against the government during nagar suraj abhiyan.

“The party will discuss over issues like property tax, aggregate tax and inordinate hike in power tariff during the meeting. Apart from host of other issues, the Congress will gherao the ruling party on these matters during nagar suraj campaign,” Chhabda said.

Prior to November 18 meeting, Patel asked the Lok Sabha incharge general secretaries to hold meeting of DCC presidents, block heads and corporators pertaining to party movement on Saturday (November 17).

On Monday meeting, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey said to make the Congress movement effective the workers should rope in large number of people.

Former CLP leader Mahendra Karma also felt that public support to the party movement would create strong pressure on the government.

On the occasion were present Satyanarayan Sharma, Ramgopal Agrawal, Baijnath Chandrakar, Pradeep Choubey, Dr Haridas Bhardwaj, Subhash Sharma, Ramesh Warlyani, Bhupesh Baghel, Arun Vora, Dr Shiv Kumar Daharia, Vidhan Mishra, Dr Premsai Singh, Chandrabhan Barmate, Shailesh Nitin Trivedi, Kiranmayi Nayak, Vani Rao, Naresh Dakalia, Nirmala Yadav, etc.