The Congress on Sunday started its two-week-long “Jan Jagran Abhiyan” to highlight issues such as inflation, high fuel prices, farmers’ problems, unemployment, etc. The campaign will last until 29 November during which the party will carry out foot marches and hold street corner meetings across the country. Congress leaders will visit rural and urban areas targeting the Central government and the BJP on the above-mentioned problems facing the people. Congress former president Rahul Gandhi was not present during the launch of the Abhiyan as he is out of the country. But AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attended the launch of the Abhiyan at Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.
Congress in Rajasthan staged a massive show of protest against the Narendra Modi government under the leadership of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dorasra. Gehlot heavily criticised the Modi government for rising inflation and alleged discrimination against the states by the Centre.
He said that the Central government should focus on how to strengthen the states under the federal structure as development in villages takes place through the states. It is only then that a pandemic like Covid-19 can be eradicated. “The NDA government is doing exactly the opposite,” he said. The CM further elaborated that earlier, in the centrally-sponsored schemes (CSS), there used to be an 80:20 share, which means the state share was 20% and the Central government’s share was 80%. Now it is a 50:50 share, and the burden on the states has increased despite the state governments having limited financial resources, he added. Gehlot said that the corona pandemic has already badly affected the financial condition of the state and now the state is reeling under a water crisis. He explained, “There is a 50:50 share in Jal Jeevan Yojana, which has the provision of 45% contribution by the Centre and state each, while the remaining 10% needs to be collected from the public. The Centre has made such a scheme. People are quite annoyed due to this,” he said. The Chief Minister hoped that Governor Kalraj Mishra would apprise the President of the problems Rajasthan was facing.
Gehlot further said that Rajasthan is different from other states geographically, in that distances between villages are very large and people have been facing acute water scarcity. Hence, the cost of delivery is high. “We have been repeatedly saying that the cost of delivery of service in Rajasthan is always higher than in other states, whether it is the delivery of water, power, education, health or roads,” said the CM. He stressed on the need to “change the old formula” in view of the challenges that Rajasthan faced. Ashok Gehlot said that the demand for special status to Rajasthan has been raised several times in the past, but the Centre has ignored it. He said that the Centre will take some action after the Governor’s suggestion regarding increasing the share of the Centre for Jal Jeevan Mission. Gehlot said that the Governor must have made these suggestions on the basis of ground realities in Rajasthan. Gehlot also held the Modi government’s policies responsible for the hike in fuel prices. The state’s share of VAT gets reduced automatically after reduction in fuel prices by the Centre, Gehlot said, adding that the states were facing a loss. Gehlot attributed the price rise problem to what he called faulty policies of the Centre. He pointed out that it was the Centre which had to reduce the VAT. He said that his government would discuss the possibility of reduction of taxes on fuel prices in the forthcoming cabinet meeting. The Rajasthan CM said that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had given the party programmes to highlight the price rise issue. The Centre will have to pay a heavy price for the high inflation rate, he added.