Nabarangpur: Basant Rath.
Congress vice president Rahul
Gandhi Monday accused the Naveen Patnaik government of diverting money sent by
the central government for welfare of tribals. While addressing rally at
Indira Gandhi stadium at Sanabharandi of Umerkote he said though the centre sends thousands of
crores under tribal sub-plan for the welfare of tribals the amount is not
reaching the beneficiaries at the village level. The state government diverting
it for other purposes, Gandhi said.
The state is rich but
its people are poor. The main reason is state government is giving up your
wealth to a handful of mafia who loot mineral resources of Odisha and become
rich, the poor and tribal people do not get any benefit. The money that the
minerals in the state raise do not reach you and your money earned from mines
and minerals are going to others pockets, while the state government is unable
to utilise the fund run schools, hospitals and employment.
Rahul Gandhi said the Congress has always protected
the interests of all sections of people, be they farmers, poor or tribals. My
father Rajiv Gandhi or he himself, his family has a special bond with the
tribals of the state. Raising the Niyamgiri issue he said keeping in mind the
tribal community’s protest against Vedanta Group’s proposed alumina refinery
plant in the Niyamgiri hill the congress stood with you and we have fought for
the tribals of Niyamgiri, the gram sabha’s and the people together saved the
hills he said.
Congress is continuing its fight for the rights of
dalit, poor tribal people of Odisha, former prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi used
to visit the place. My family has continued to share a special relation with
you. So I love to visit Odisha especially these tribal pockets, Rahul Gandhi
said.
He told the gathering that Railway will be soon in
this tribal dominated Nabarangpur district. Speaking on Food security bill, the
Congress scion said the Centre brought the food bill to ensure a hunger-free
society, it was unfortunate that Food Security Act was not implemented in the
state.
Highlighting the programmes launched in the last 10 years by the
Congress-led government, he said crores of people are benefiting from the employment
guarantee schemes and the scheduled tribes and other forest dwellers act. He also said the Congress gave the right to
food to ensure food security to the poor and the right to information to bring
transparency in governance.
Gandhi said his party has also
taken measures for empowerment of women "We gave 50 percent reservation to
women in panchayats. Our efforts will be to pass the women reservation bill so
that 33 percent reservation is available for women in the assemblies and
parliament. He further said Congress-led UPA government established medical
institute like AIIIMS, top engineering institute like IIT, he said.
He criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party-led
National Democratic Alliance, saying people in the NDA say they will bring
progress, but they never utter a word on farmers, poor or tribals.
He was welcomed by State Congress leaders including
OPCC president Jaydev Jena and AICC general secretary BK Hariprasad, Nabarangpur MP candidate Pradeep Majhi,
district president Narayan Patro, MLA
candidates Sadan Nayak, Bhujabala Majhi, Uldhar Majhi, and Jatindra Gond, among
others.
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