BJP promises 24-hour supply, Cong free power - Hindustan Times
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BJP promises 24-hour supply, Cong free power

Hindustan Times | By, Bhopal
Aug 19, 2013 10:27 AM IST

Aware that hefty electricity bills has aggrieved large sections of society both in the urban and the rural pockets, Congress has decided to promise waiving pending electricity bills for below poverty line (BPL) families and farmers.

If the chief minister is leaving no stone unturned to please people from every section of society ahead of the state assembly polls, the Opposition Congress is not far behind in exploring areas, where the BJP has failed to deliver during its decade-long rule.

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People’s grievances against the BJP government would find mention in the Congress manifesto in the form of poll promises to the people of the state.

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Aware that hefty electricity bills has aggrieved large sections of society both in the urban and the rural pockets, Congress has decided to promise waiving pending electricity bills for below poverty line (BPL) families and farmers.

Besides, it’s also going to promise restoration of free onepoint electricity connection for BPL families and up to five-HP power connection to farmers.

Besides, waiving loan up to Rs 50,000 secured by farmers from land development banks and cooperative banks is also on the Congress party’s agenda.

“We shall waive off electricity bills for BPL families and farmers. They are fake bills. People didn’t receive electricity but bills running in thousands of rupee were received. We shall also restore free electricity provision for farmers and poor families, which was our policy during ten years of our regime. The chief minister may have forgotten about his promise to waive off farmers’ loan up to R50,000 but we shall waive off their loan of up to R51,000,” said state Congress chief Kantilal Bhuria.

Right of tribals on the land which they inhabit is going to be another major issue on the Congress poll agenda. Ownership right over land under their occuption (where they had settled before 2005) granted to tribals under Forest Rights’ Act has largely remained unimplemented in MP, feels the Congress.

“There were 4,65,000 applications received for patta but only 1,75,000 applications were accepted. In this way, there are about 3,00,000 persons who have been denied ownership right over land granted by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government through an Act,” said Bhuria.

The party is also trying to enlist support of sections, which were particularly unhappy with erstwhile Digvijay Singh government like government servants.

The party will promise them payment of arrears which the BJP government failed to provide while implementating the sixth pay commission or raising dearness allowance with retrospective effect from time to time.

The party is also likely to promise thousands of contract teachers that all their outstanding demands including ‘same wages for same work’ would be unconditionally accepted.

The residents of nearby residential areas of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal staged protest in front of the medical college on Sunday.

They were protesting against the college administration’s move to block the road in front of the medical college.

The road is used by residents of nearby areas.

But few days ago, the medical college administration blocked the road for common people and only staff and students of the institute are allowed to use the road.

There are around 13 colonies near AIIMS and the road which has been blocked was the shortest way for the residents of these colonies.

The residents now have to travel two kilometres extra.

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