New Delhi, February 1
The hapless people of Uttarakhand could well get a respite from marauding monkeys as the ruling Congress has promised to raise a ‘langur sena’ to chase away these simians if the party is returned to power in the next month’s Assembly poll.
This solemn pledge finds a special mention in the party’s Uttarakhand election manifesto which was finalised today by its central manifesto committee, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
The manifesto will be formally released in Dehra Dun sometime next week.
It is not just about monkeys. The Congress has also promised to deal with the growing menace of wild pigs which have unleashed a proverbial reign of terror in this
hill state.
The Congress has assured the people that effective measures, including
fencing of farmlands, will be undertaken to protect their crops which are being destroyed by the rampaging pigs and monkeys.
This issue came up for discussion during today’s
meeting when Mr Harish Rawat, president of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee
(UPCC), explained the gravity of the problem to the Central leaders. While endorsing their suggestions, Mr Mukherjee apparently expressed concern about the plight of the monkeys and pigs who might not find sufficient sustenance in the jungles.
It was explained that the manifesto had taken this into account
and, therefore, mentioned that measures would be taken to improve the tree cover in the state with particular emphasis on growing shrubs and berries that the monkeys feed on.
Mr Rawat later told reporters that at least 500
villages in Uttarakhand were affected as packs of monkeys and wild pigs have been destroying their painstakingly grown crops. Increasing deforestation and the destruction of shrubbery, he said, has compelled monkeys to venture into farmlands to look for food.
Besides addressing the grievances of farmers, the Congress has also promised a special package for the one lakh ex-servicemen with particular focus on their re-employment since most of them retire very young.
Here, Mr Mukherjee suggested that a separate law be enacted and a special officer be designated to specifically handle the increasing cases of encroachments of the lands of these ex-servicemen.
In addition, the Congress is seeking to woo the youth with the promise of jobs as unemployment has been identified as another major problem in
Uttarakhand.
While Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s tour plan is yet to be finalised, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be
addressing election rallies in Pithoragarh and Rudrapur on February 13.
