Bhubaneswar, April 7: Opposition Congress and BJP are bracing to intensify their agitations against what they alleged large scale irregularities committed by the State government in the distribution of ration cards under the National Food Security Act and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Act in the State.
While the Congress has decided to intensify its agitation on gross irregularities in the Centrally sponsored National Food Security Act (NFSA) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) schemes across the state from April 15 next through its Jan Jagaran Yatra, the BJP launches its agitational programme Jan Kalyan Jatra from April 7.
PCC chief Prasad Harichandan told newsmen after the meeting that the State government has ‘utterly failed’ in delivering the dues to the people.
The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of District Congress Presidents and state party office-bearers at Congress Bhawan here today.
Briefing the media after the meeting, Cuttack District Congress president Prakash Behera said the party will try to ensure proper implementation of NFSA and MGNREGA schemes introduced by the UPA government at the Centre.
He said as per the decision taken at the meeting, the Congress will identify genuine beneficiaries who have been deprived of ration cards.
“Our party will fill up the names and details of the beneficiaries in the form and apply for ration cards on their behalf to the concerned authorities. If the concerned authorities fail to comply with the application and do not take necessary steps, the party will resort to agitation. The party will adopt the same process for the MGNREGA beneficiaries, who have not been provided with job cards. We will submit the forms on behalf of these left-out beneficiaries to the district Labour office and apply for job cards for them,” he pointed out.
PCC spokesperson Sulochana Das said strengthening of the party base and highlighting public issues were the mainly topics of discussion at the District Congress Presidents’ meeting.
Talking about the decision taken on ration card issue, she said the genuine and left-out beneficiaries will reapply for ration card in the forms to be provided by the Congress. The party will collect a copy of the forms from all organisational districts, which will be sent to the District Congress Committee which will take up the matter with the district administration to get ration cards issued to these beneficiaries.
“If the district administration fails to provide them the ration cards within a month, we will take up the issue with the State Food Commission. If the Commission does not take any steps, the party will take to the streets,” Das said, adding that similar steps will be taken on MGNREGA issue.
The Congress spokesperson further said there will be a meeting of Block Congress presidents followed by another meeting at the panchayat level where the party will take up these two issues.
The BJP will kick off its Jan Kalyan Jatra from Nabarangpur district to reach out to the people over State government’s failure and highlight the achievement of the NDA government at the Centre.
“The yatra will start from Chandahandi in Nabarangpur and will culminate in Keonjhar on April 24 covering as many as 17 organisational districts”, BJP spokesperson Nayan Mohanty told reporters.
Many state level leaders will join the programme and local party workers would accompany them. They will bring the problems of their locality to the notice of State leaders during the visit, he added.
The posters and leaflets listing the State government’s failures and the Centre’s contribution will be distributed among the people.
Commenting on the yatra’s motto, party general secretary Prithivraj Harichandan said the party will observe the basic necessities in summer like drinking water facilities, health care and education system. “After being informed about their problems, we will put pressure on the government to sort out these,” Harichandan said.
