RAHUL GETS WARM WELCOME IN ORISSA,, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi received huge applause from the people as he went on a roadshow from Odisha’s Capital city of Bhubaneswar on Sunday to address a rally at Bhatpada in Cuttack district, an exercise aimed at rejuvenating the party in the State. Thousands of men and women waited for hours to have a glimpse of the Congress leader, who arrived on a two-day visit to the state on Sunday. The roadshow continued up to Bhatpada in Salepur area where Mr. Gandhi addressed a well-attended rally in the afternoon. Mr. Gandhi accused the Biju Janata Dal-government headed by Naveen Patnaik on various fronts. Mr. Gandhi lamented that the people of Odisha had remained backward despite the State being rich in mineral wealth. Thousands of crore worth iron ore and manganese had been looted in the State where 22 of the 30 districts were affected by naxal violence. The benefits of mining had not reached the people of the State, he observed. The Congress leader also blamed the BJD government for not implementing the Central schemes and siphoning off huge funds coming under various welfare programmes. While about 20 lakh people had been hit by the chit fund scam, over 10 lakhs of youths of the State had remained unemployed, he added. Earlier, asking the driver of his vehicle to drive slowly, Mr. Gandhi kept waving his hands at the people who had queued up on both sides of his roadshow route. He also got down from the vehicle at a few places to shake hands with the people. A large number of Congress workers and supporters displayed posters welcoming Mr. Gandhi as slogans welcoming him rent the air. The party workers also raised slogans about the Central schemes being implemented in the State, including that of the free emergency ambulance service across the State. The Congress vice-president’s visit carries significance for the Congress in Odisha in particular and the country in general as Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial nominee and Gujarat Chief Minister was scheduled to address a massive party rally in Bhubaneswar on February 11. Mr. Gandhi’s visit was also crucial for the State Congress headed by Dalit leader Jayadev Jena as the simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and State Assembly were just a few months away. The Congress workers and leaders in the State had got united after a long gap as Mr. Gandhi arrived barely three days after Congress candidate and Indian Premier League chairman Ranjib Biswal won the fourth Rajya Sabha seat by securing more votes than renowned sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra, who was backed by the ruling BJD. Mr. Gandhi was to return to the State Capital late in the afternoon to interact with a group of journalists and also hold talks with the members of minority cell of the party’s State Committee in the evening. After his overnight stay in Bhubaneswar, Mr. Gandhi was scheduled to leave the State on Monday afternoon after holding meetings with college students and party functionaries in separate sessions. Rahul calls upon to throw away Naveen govt Launching a scathing attack on Naveen Patnaik government over the issue of multi-crore mining scam, Congess’ Campaign Committee Chief Rahul Gandhi in Salipur called upon people to throw away the corrupt Biju Janata Dal government in Odisha. Mr. Gandhi, who addressed a massive rally as part of his two-day-long visit to the State, however, did not utter a single word against BJP’s Prime Ministerial Nominee Narendra Modi. “Odisha is the richest State among all Indian States. It has got huge mineral resources such as iron, manganese, bauxite and coal and forest resources. The State has every ingredient required for development here,” said Mr. Gandhi. “However, what lacks is government’s commitment to provide employment and pass on the fund to people. Money earned from mineral sector gets vanished from the middle,” the Congress leader said, adding Raghurajan Committee say Odisha lags behind every State. “Odisha has witnessed over 3500 farmer suicide and touched unemployment figure of 10 lakh. People want job, but government does not provide. Twenty two out of 30 districts of the State are naxal affected,” he said. One third of the population belongs to Below Poverty line and people belonging to scheduled tribe and schedule caste face atrocities here. “Similarly, hospitals and schools lack doctors and teachers respectively in the State. Over Rs. 60000 crore worth of mineral were looted from the State. A large number of people should have been benefited from it, but a select group of people were allowed to prosper. Similarly, over 20 lakh families have lost their earnings in chit fund scam,” Mr. Gandhi maintained. “We provide huge fund under welfare schemes of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Mid Day Meal scheme, but corrupt BJD government robbed the money in the middle and money did not reach people. Moreover, rice provided to BPL families was also misappropriated,” he said. “The State government always moans that Centre does not give fund. No central government in the history has given so much of fund like us. I am told that Rs. 5000 crore of central funds are lying unspent.” On people’s struggle to stall Vedanta Project in Kalahandi district, Mr. Gandhi, who was said to have played key role, said “We have fought a biggest battle for tribals in Niyamgiri and returned their land. Odisha is a rich State of poor people.” “We have to fight against backwardness and atrocities against women and dalits. Congess workers should go to villages and fight for people,” the Gandhi scion said. “You have to throw the corrupt BJD government away and bring a government which should be of tribals and dalits,” he called upon huge gathering at Bhatapada ground in Cuttack district. Earlier, the first-ever roadshow of the Mr. Gandhi after being elevated to Congress campaign committee chief from Biju Patnaik Airport to Bhatapada in the State drew good crowd. Enthusiastic youngsters and party workers jostled for space to get a glimpse of the Gandhi scion. As soon as Mr. Gandhi emerged from Biju Patnaik Airport on Sunday morning, he was given loud ovation by waiting Congress leaders. Immediately he took to the street and kept on waving from his SUV to crowd lined up on both sides of roads. He briefly halted at one or two places in Bhubaneswar and talked to youngsters.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 17:27:00 +0000
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