Rawat govt taking unpopular decisions, alleges Congress

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 25

The Opposition Congress yesterday accused the state government of taking unpopular decisions and completely ignoring the promises it had made in its election manifesto. Addressing a press conference here yesterday, state Congress president and Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh said the BJP government had only taken unpopular decisions so far in its first 100 days in office. He said the biggest anti-people decision of the government was hike in the prices of wheat and rice provided through PDS shops. He reminded that during the Congress government in the state, prices of wheat and rice were Rs 4 and Rs 9 per kg respectively, while the incumbent BJP government has raised this price to Rs 8.60 and Rs 15 per kg respectively, severely affecting the common man. He said similarly subsidy on sugar and kerosene oil has also been withdrawn.

Singh further said the rates of power and drinking water had been hiked twice in the last 100 days. The step reveals the anti-people mindset of the state government.

Referring to the BJP’s earlier poll manifesto, the state Congress president said the BJP had promised to waive off earlier loans of farmers after coming to power. Similarly, it has promised to further give interest-free agriculture loans to farmers. But the BJP government has not fulfilled any of these two promises.

He said against liquor ban, the state BJP government is patronising liquor mafia.

The government was trying to forcibly end the ongoing anti-liquor agitation undertaken by women folk in various parts of the state, he alleged.

Singh alleged that poor arrangements during the Char Dham yatra had led to the death of 31 pilgrims. The incidents of theft, loot, dacoity and murder are on the rise in the state, he said.

He said in the very first Budget of the state government, people belonging to the SC, ST, OBC and minority categories have been neglected. He said the budget document had shown little will to address the issue of migration from the hill areas of the state.