The Congress ‘yatra’ covering as many as 11 districts where the party feels that the employment rights of the locals have been compromised with, reached Palamu on Thursday. Former Daltonganj MlA and Minister KN Tripathi is leading the march that was started on January 3 from Nagar Untari of Garhwa.
A group of Congressmen numbering over 500 in the form of a bike rally travelled to Daltonganj crossing Rehla, Pandwa and other places falling in between. “We were welcomed with all enthusiasm by local youths at all the places in great numbers. They all are concerned about the policies of the BJP-led Government and feel their employment rights have been taken away,” said Tripathi.
Congress State president Ajoy Kumar was present at Nagar Untari to flag off the yatra on Wednesday while on the second day local party leaders comprising district and block presidents of the two districts and other office bearers welcomed the leaders.
“The Government has permitted only locals into grade 3-4 jobs under the rights given to the State under the 5th Schedule of the Constitution. However, the condition was waived for 11 districts. In a meeting held in Palamu early this year, the Chief Minister had promised to rectify the decision which has not been done even after eight months have passed,” said the former MlA.
The leader said that local unemployed youths are in dismay over the decision of the Government which is depriving them of jobs at the cost of the ‘outsiders’. “The Government under the Constitution has power to make employment policies to prefer locals. There is no harm in extending the provision for these districts as well which are under-developed,” added Tripathi.
A public meeting was also addressed at Daltonganj where a recent reportedly offending remarks made by Chief Minister Raghubar Das during his Garhwa visit also came for heavy criticism. “The Chief Minister is speaking in an uncontrolled manner and has no sense of the sentiments of the people. Only time will teach him a lesson,” said the senior Congress leader.
The yatra would now travel through Chatra-Hazaribagh on Friday, on January 6 at Ramgarh-Bokaro, on January 7 at Dhanbad-Giridih, on January 8 at Koderma and would finally culminate reaching at Godda and Deoghar on January 9.