Maneka rejects slavery report

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 31

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi here today dismissed the Global Slavery Index report as “baseless and devoid of facts”.

“The report was put up before me. I disagree with it. The data appears to be far-fetched,” she said.

The report, released by Australia-based human rights group Walk Free Foundation, has put India on top with 183 lakh slaves, followed by China (33.8 lakh) and Pakistan (21 lakh).

Maneka was here along with Union Minister Mahesh Sharma and BJP vice-president Sham Jaju to highlight the Modi government’s achievements and hand out Ujjwala gas connections and Mudra loans.

Meanwhile, Maneka said the anti-trafficking Bill, introduced yesterday, would treat survivors as victims rather than criminals, adding that the government planned to set up centres for their rehabilitation. She expressed concern over the high use of pesticides in Punjab and called upon farmers to shift to organic farming.

On curbing cow slaughter, Maneka, also an animal rights activist, sought a ban on the use of oxytocin injections, due to which the scavenger birds did not eat cattle meat and the animals had to be sent to slaughter houses. “I have taken up the matter with Health Minister JP Nadda and a positive outcome is expected soon,” she said.

Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma, who had in December last year claimed that the Centre was committed to build the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, said today that this was not a political issue for the BJP.

The minister said the matter was sub judice and a decision would be taken only after the SC’s verdict.

Maneka said her department had recently written to the state governments not to press the anganwari workers to perform duties other than those prescribed in their job profile. She said promotional avenues were being introduced for anganwari workers.

Meanwhile, Sharma said new schemes to promote tourism in Patiala and Amritsar were on the cards. He added that a regional aviation connectivity scheme had been proposed, under which air companies would have to provide affordable domestic flights.

BJP national vice-president Shyam Jaju today hinted at seat swapping with alliance partner SAD in the Assembly elections.

On farmer suicides, he said, “This year’s budget was farm-oriented. In the long run, it will help farmers in steadying their financial position and bring down the suicide rate.”