Patel meets Jairam Ramesh, gives clarification

Raipur, February 04, 2013

PCC president Nandkumar Patel paid courtesy visit to Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh at New Circuit House on Monday after the latter categorically said that the state Congress need not get angry with him on selection of Kanker district and Gatapar gram panchayat (Rajnandgaon) for MNREGA award as neither he had recommended for it nor he was biased.

Patel’s visit is seen as damage control exercise by the state Congress that least wishes to give opportunity to ruling BJP to hit at it on its internal affairs.

Notably, Patel and other Congress leaders had objected over selection of Kanker district and Gatapar gram panchayat for MNREGA award and alleged that the government used fake data to win the award. The party leaders indirectly held Ramesh responsible for BJP government getting this award.

They even went on to say in suppressed voice that the party’s monitoring committee had submitted evidences pertaining to grafts in MNREGA works in Chhattisgarh to the minister but he did not take anticipated action.

Hence, when Ramesh arrived in state on Febraury 2, the senior Congress leaders decided to ignore him.

The party insiders say that state Congress incharge BK Hariprasada had asked Patel to meet Ramesh and give clarifications pertaining recent reports of increasing difference between the minister and the state unit.

The party has continuously attacked the BJP government on various issues in the recent past and it cannot afford to give advantage to the ruling party on trivial matters, they said.

Ramesh has rather put impartial face of Congress-led UPA government by stating that the Centre never discriminates in giving award to eligible states – be it ruled by Congress, BJP or any other political party, but the state Congress overreacted on MNREGA award, the sources felt.

In coming months, the union ministers and senior Congress leaders will frequently arrive in the state that will go on polls in the yearend and hence the party leaders have to make use of their visits in favour of Congress instead of going astray and giving statements against them, sources said.