Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress President Vikramaditya Singh claimed of getting good response for Youth Congress’ ‘Padyatra’ raising issues of farmers and horticulturalists of the state.
Vikramaditya Singh, in a press conference here today, apprised that Youth Congress workers had organised 10 kms Padyatra in each constituency of Himachal and the party workers had covered around 700 kms area of the state where Youth Congress workers got immense support from people against the BJP led NDA government’s Land Acquisition Bill. He said
“The second phase of Youth Congress padyatra would start from June 1 to June 7 at each District Headquarters of the state after which a state level rally would be organised in which AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh would be invited,”
State Youth Congress President criticised the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing anti-farmer Land Acquisition Bill and said that Congress led UPA government had brought Land Acquisition Act to protect the interests of the farmers after due consultation with all political parties and stakeholders. But BJP led Union Government has ignored the land losers by making amendments in the act and the government had not made any provisions for job security and proper compensation for acquired land.
Vikramaditya Singh also expressed concern over falling agriculture growth rate from 4.7 percent in 2013-14 to 1.1 percent in 2014-15 and said that the production of foodgrains in India had also gone from 2650 lakh metric tonnes in 2013-14 to 2500 lakh metric tonne in 2014-15. “Further, Modi government had failed to provide fertilisers to farmers on time and urea crisis has led to reduction in foodgrain production as former UPA regime had imported 43.83 lakh tonne urea during June-Oct 2013, while NDA government only imported 17.37 lakh tonne urea during the same period,” he said, adding that the government had also failed in paying subsidy worth Rs 40,000 crore to urea manufacturers of the country.
Vikramaditya Singh said that Modi and BJP had promised to bring back black money from foreign countries and deposit Rs 15 lakh in each voter’s account. But now the government had backtracked on the issue and now citing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement for not being able to bring back the black money.
He accused all four BJP MPs from the state for failing to protect the interests of the state and added that instead of raising the issues pertaining to the welfare of the people of the state, these MPs are keeping mum on these issues. He also criticised former Chief Minister and opposition leader Prem Kumar Dhumal’s statement terming the padyatra as political stunt and said that he was raising the issues farmers and horticulturalists of the state and would continue to do so in the future.
