The Congress general secretary hails Chief Minister BhupeshBaghel for his work in the state in the public rally in Jagdalpur.
Raipur
Extending her greetings to the people of tribal Bastar in Halbilanguage, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, on her maiden visit to the region, said that Bastar has become a brand as forest produces of the region are well in demand across the world. Apparently an eye on the assembly elections in the state this years end and importance of Bastar in the state politics, the Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi addressed a public meeting in Jagdalpur, the divisional headquarters of Bastar, on Thursday. Priyanka said that she had heard about the struggle of Bastar since her childhood.
“I have come here for the first time, but I have been hearing about Bastar since childhood, about the struggle of the people here,” she said.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel along with Priyanka Gandhi inaugurated development works worth Rs 128 crore 99 lakh. A total of 49 development works, in which 15 development works worth 62 crore 29 lakh 47 thousand were inaugurated and 34 development works worth more than 66 crore 70 lakh were done.
She said that the women of Bastar are becoming self-reliant. “When we earn, we feel confident that we too have brought something into the family by earning,” she said. The 15-year government of the Bharatiya Janata Party made the people of Bastar dependent on the government while Congress government made them self-reliant, she said.
The Congress government is giving MSP for 65 forest produce. Forest rights leases were given to 5 lakh people. The highest MSP of paddy is available here at Rs 2660, she said.
She said that the previous government only looted the people of Bastar, she said, adding Baghel never talks negatively, whenever the Chief Minister of here Bhupesh Baghel meets her, he never gossips or talks negatively about anyone, she said.
Bastar region has a deep attachment to the Gandhi-Nehru family. Earlier in Bastar, where Naxalites’ gunfire was heard, today songs of happiness are heard. Employment is being provided to the youth, she said.
The Nehru-Gandhi family has a special relationship with Bastarin Chhattisgarh. For the first time in the year 1955, former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru came to Bastar and had attended the tribal conference here. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also came here in the year 1972. She had met tribal women in Abujhmad. And also did traditional dance with them.
