Ex-CM misleading people on crop relief: YC chief

Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, June 4

Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is misleading the people on the crop compensation being given in the state.

This was stated by Vikramaditya, president of the state Youth Congress (YC), while addressing a press conference here today. He said Dhumal had wrongly informed that the Centre had offered more compensation to farmers as compared to what was being given to them and orchardists in the state.

The YC president said farmers and orchardists in the state were given 100 per cent compensation against crop losses whereas the Centre had marginally increased the compensation from 25 per cent earlier to 33 per cent. He said farmers were the worst sufferers in the states being ruled by the BJP governments.

He said the state had allocated 16.45 per cent budget for the agriculture and horticulture sectors which indicated the concern of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for this community. BJP MP Anurag Thakur had also misled the public by claiming that the IIM, three medical colleges and even Central University (CU) were brought to Himachal due to his efforts. The people of the state were well aware and could not be misinformed.

He said all the three medical colleges were announced during the UPA regime with sufficient allocation of funds. Anurag Thakur was only creating hurdles in establishing the CU campus which the UPA government had started years ago in Kangra district.

He said four BJP MPs of the state had miserably failed to protect the interests of farmers of the state. Thousands of farmers were facing hard time due to non-release of compensation, but the MPs had not raised their voice in Parliament. The YC would continue its drive against the land Bill and would not let BJP leaders grab the land of poor farmers to appease rich and famous.

Refuting infighting in the YC, Vikramaditya said indiscipline in the party would not be tolerated at any level.

As for the revocation of suspended YC leaders, he said no suspension had been revoked and it would only be done after assessment by the core committee. Revocation would be done on merits and the YC was not in a hurry to do so.

Earlier, Vikramaditya led the Kisan Satyagrah rally from Dosarka to Gandhi Chowk and addressed a public meeting at Gandhi Chowk.