The Congress on Monday came down heavily on the ruling BJP Government while alleging that BJP MP Sohan Potai and MlA Vikram Usendi have connection with Maoist couriers in Chhattisgarh.
The Congress has also planned to stage an ‘economic blockade’ on January 31 to protest non-payment of support price of `2,400 per quintal of paddy with bonus. This was jointly stated by president of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CGPCC) Bhupesh Baghel and leader of Opposition in the Chhattisgarh Assembly TS Singh Deo while addressing a news conference here .
“The ruling Government is consistently trying to play down the arrest of Maoist couriers Dharmendra Chopra and Neeraj Chorpa. The nexus of both Neeraj and Dharmendra with Naxals have been exposed. They had connection with BJP MP Sohan Potai and MlA Vikram Usendi which is a known fact now,” Baghel claimed while demanding that both the politicians must be interrogated.
Baghel said that the State Government by presenting fake data have received the ‘Krishi Karman’ award for agriculture. “About 12 lakh farmers in the State have now turned into labourers. In absence of a proper system, the farmers are forced to sell their produce at a throwaway price to brokers,” he added.
The transportation system to carry the farm produce has collapsed and farmers have to keep on making rounds of co-operative banks to withdraw their money. In this situation, they (the Government) has no moral grounds to take the (Krishi Karman) award,” Baghel charged.
leader of Opposition TS Singh Deo while outlining the strategy that Congress party would adopt in the forthcoming coming Budget Session remarked: “If Chief Minister Raman Singh is really serious about his ‘zero tolerance’ to corruption then a lokpal Bill should be tabled in the Chhattisgarh Assembly as well.”
Singh Deo informed that issues like Swagat Vihar case, allocation of coal block to Ajay Sancheti who is a close aid of former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, botched cataract operations, uterus removal cases, Pushp steel case along with several others would be raised during the Assembly session.
He also demanded releasing of a White Paper over the aforesaid issues by Raman Singh Government.
later, CGPCC chief said that to protest non payment of paddy support price and bonus of `2,400 per quintal besides non provision of free electricity to farmers and non payment of pending bonus of `3880 crore, the Congress party would stage economic blocked across the State on January 31 and outline of which would be declared very soon after meeting with party office bearers.
To a question whether a ticket would be issued to former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ajit Jogi to contest from Bilaspur lok Sabha seat he remarked, “Jogiji is senior party leader and as he himself says the decisions are taken by AICC president Sonia Gandhi so let the AICC chief take the decision.”