Press Note Eng Dt: 16/10/2012 Kutch

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Press Note                                                                   16^th October, 2012

• To talk of turning Kutch into Shanghai is an insult of Kutch, HDI of Shanghai is lowest in the world while people of Kutch are among the most humane in the world.
• Narmada water to Kutch should be the first priority.
• Narmada water has reached few favored industrialist but people of Kutch are deprived of Narmada water.
• Gujarat government has insulted educated youth and education world by not filling thousands of posts of teachers.
• Government has not bothered even a bit about artisans of Kutch, cattle breeders and farmers.
• Gujarat Chief Minister wishes that terrorists come to Gujarat and kill some people, but he remains safe and his vote bank becomes strong.
• Chief Minister’s favorites have polluted costal area of Gujarat and so fishermen of Gujarat have to go to Pakistan.
• Leader of Opposition addressed thousands of Congress workers in meetings in Mandvi and Gandhidham assembly constituencies.

Addressing thousands ofpartyworkers in Mandvi and Gandhidham,LeaderofOppositionin thestateassemblyShaktisinh Gohilsaidthattotalkof turning Kutch intoShanghaiis an insult of Kutch, HDI of Shanghai is lowest in the world while people ofKutchare among themosthumane in the world.

HesaidthatKutchcanneverbecompared with a place whereviolationofHuman Rightsisrampantand HDI is the lowest.Kutchhasa richculturalheritage. Kutch should be left as Kutch anditshould be given itsdueinsteadof talking about turning Kutch intoShanghai. In the last 12 years,maximuminjusticehas been done toKutch. Itsinvaluablenaturalresourceshave been allowed to be exploited by favorites of theChiefMinister. Narmada water to Kutch, Saurashtra andNorth Gujaratwas thetopmostpriority. Even theSupremeCourthad dismissed apetitionof people protesting against NarmadaprojectwhenGovernmenthad in the past presented acaseforneed for Narmada water in Kutch, Saurashtra andNorth Gujarat. Today the project has attained theheightof 121 meters andGujarathas got itsshareof water.Narmadadamgets its water which isreleasedfromfive dams in Madhya Pradesh because of hydelelectricityprojects on those dams.

Howeverbecause of thecriminalnegligenceof the Gujaratgovernment, people of Kutch are not gettingNarmadawater and insteaditflows intothe sea. This is greatinjusticetoKutch. Heallegedthat water could be provided to all inKutchusing gravityprinciplein design. But thecanalhas been built tosuitthe needs of few favorites in thecoastalarea. Congress governmentwillgivetopmostpriorityto Narmadawatersto Kutch, Saurashtra andNorth Gujarat.

Unfortunately thestategovernmenthasignorededucation, which is itsPrimaryresponsibility.Itis the responsibility of the state governmenttofill up thousands ofvacantposts of teachers. The posts should have been filledimmediatelyinviewofthecodeofconductfor December elections. However the CMremainsbusy in hispersonalpublicity and favoring his favorites. As a result, thousands of young peoplequalifiedto become teachers have remained jobless. And thus,Gujaratgovernment has insulted educatedyouthand education world by notfillingthousands of posts of teachers. Gohil saidthat these posts can still be filled with the permission of Election Commission of India and ifGujaratgovernment makes any such efforts, the Congress would extend support to it.

Governmenthasnot bothered even a bit aboutartisans ofKutch,cattle breeders andfarmers.Kutchwas mostly dependent uponcattle breeding, handicrafts andagriculture. After the devastating earthquake,naturehas beenkindtoKutch. Exceptforlast year,Kutchhas received good rainfall in last 12 years. But artisans of Kutch, cattle breeders and farmers are not getting benefits of nature because the government has given away thewealthofKutchto Modi’s few favouriteindustrialists. Thegaucherland has been given away to industrialists. The Banniarea, famousgrass lands ofKutchhasalso been given to industrialists, Gohil said. Any Gujarati farmer never used to sell his cattle as he could feed themin gaucher land but thepresentgovernment has given away 3,30,000acres gaucher land to industrialists. As aresulta farmer has to spend Rs.60-65perdayto feed his cattle and in such asituationhe has nooptionbut to send his cattle toslaughterhouse. Gohilallegedthat cattle are being killed in thestatedueto Modi’s sinfulacts.

Gujarathas the longest coastline in the country. Fishermen of thestateusedtocatch some of the best fishes here and they did not have toventurein Pakistani limits. On thecontraryPakistani fishermen used toenterIndianwatersforfishingand were caught by the coastalsecurityand put in jail. But now thesituationhas changed.ChiefMinister’s favorites have polluted costalareaof Gujarat and so fishermen of Gujarat have to go toPakistan.

Kutchis aborderstateand itssecurityis theresponsibilityof theCentreand theStategovernment. Unfortunately theGujaratgovernment isindifferenttowards security of its borders.Marinechowkies have beensetup incoastalareas. TheCentralgovernmenthas given boats forpatrollingbut the state government is notclearingfiles forrecruitmentofstafffor handling boats. GujaratChiefMinisterwishes that terrorists come toGujaratand kill some people, but heremainssafeand hisvotebankbecomes strong.

The CM keeps heavysecurityforhimself but is not bothered about common man. The CMwillnot getvotes in the name of Ram or hisworkor even on his lies and so he wishes that someterroristattackis there and hecangarner votes in the name of terrorism. In the past also duringelectiontimeModi in hisspeechchallenged terrorists and thus invited themtoattack. Whetheritis Akshardham orCivilhospitalor any other terrorist attack, it happens beforeelection and the CM then uses it in his election speech tomakehis votebankstrong. The bestexampleof this is attack on Akshardham which isjustoppositehis bungalow. The bungalow hadtightsecuritywhile Akshardham was at the mercy of terrorists. It appears clearly that CM wishes that some terrorist attack takes place before elections.

Referringtothe much acclaimed Ghar Nu Gharschemeof the Congress, Gohilsaidthat the CM wasshaken by it. Usinggovernmentmoneyforadvertisements he made a claim that his government has built lakhs of houses, however this lie was exposed by Kutch Ladayak Manch which obtainedinformationthrough RTI thatGujaratgovernment did notprovidepuccahouses to anyone. Congresswillprovide 12LPGcylinders atsubsidized rates ifitcomes topowerinGujarathealso said.

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