Other States - Chattisgarh

Raman Singh Government total failure: Ajit Jogi

`State Government failed to fulfil any of its poll promises'

Raipur: The Raman Singh-led BJP Government in the State is a `total failure' even after crossing half-way mark of its tenure, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Ajit Jogi claimed on Sunday.

"The State Government crossed the half-way mark without any achievement and with having failed to fulfil any of the promises made in the election manifesto," Jogi told reporters here three days ahead of Singh Government's two-and-a-half-year completion.

"Unemployment allowance of Rs 500 to each youth per month, cows to all tribals, writing off of repayment of loans by farmers, permanent land records to forest dwellers and a corruption-free Government were the promises made during the Assembly poll by the BJP and none of these promises has been fulfilled," the senior Congress leader alleged.

Mr. Jogi also claimed the State BJP Government was trying to divide people on religious line because of which communal tensions have been reported from some places.

"For the first time communal tensions and clashes have been reported from small places like Dongargaon, Kanker and Pithora and the BJP regime is engaged in polarisation of people on religious lines after coming to power on December 7, 2003," he said.

Mr. Jogi also claimed that when he was the Chief Minister, the State was earning revenue by selling its surplus power to other States, "whereas the entire State is currently reeling under a severe power crisis because of mismanagement by the Government."

Besides a lacklustre administration, corruption has become deeply entrenched in the State and development works have come to a standstill, the former Chief Minister alleged.

Mr. Jogi said the situation in Bastar region has become so bad that the local tribals have begun to consider Naxalites as the lesser evil.

Talking to newsmen at his residence here, he said "innocent tribals were sandwiched" between the police, Maoists and the anti-naxalite campaigners. The situation has gone out of control, forcing the locals to think it was better to extend their support to the Maoists.

Mr Jogi said official figures stated that nearly 214 people were killed by the naxalites during the last one year ever since the `Salwa Judum' campaign against naxalites began in June 2005. Besides, there were complaints that killings by the police had not been reported, he added.

Mr. Jogi alleged that the special police officers (SPO), being appointed to assist the police in anti-naxalite operations, have become `super police officers', who conduct search in the villages and harass the tribals, accusing them of supporting the Maoists.

Mr Jogi said the local people of a village in Dantewara district told him that they had stopped eating fish of local rivers as they found human bodies floating in their waters. He, however, refused to name the village saying that could lead to further harassment.

Referring to reports that nearly 66,000 people had deserted their villages because of naxalite threat and took shelter in the relief camps set up by the State Government, Mr Jogi said this number appeared to be inflated and there could be corruption in ration and other arrangements being made for them.

The former Chief Minister reiterated his charge that RSS was behind the `Salwa Judum' movement, alleging that its strategy appeared to be aimed at forcing the tribals to settle down at one place. "This will give easy access to the RSS to teach them its ideology," he said. -- PTI & UNI

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