Farmer disallows landing of Hardik Patel helicopter on his field
Ahmedabad: Congress leader Hardik Patel had to cancel his helicopter ride to Lunawada in Mahisagar district of Gujarat Thursday at the last moment after the farmer on whose field the chopper was to land did not give his nod for its use as a helipad, an official said.
Hardik Patel had to later travel by road to Lunawada, around 100km from here, to address an election rally.
The 25-year-old, who led the Patidar reservation stir in Gujarat since 2015 and joined the Congress last month, has emerged as a star campaigner for the opposition party, criss- crossing the state in a helicopter to address poll rallies.
His helicopter ride to Lunawada to address an election rally for Congress's Panchmahal Lok Sabha candidate Vechatbhai Khant got into trouble after a farmer, Vinay Patel, went back on his permission to allow the chopper to land on his private field, the official said.
Vinay Patel sounded upset with Hardik Patel, saying he is "playing politics on the bodies of those who died" during the Patidar reservation agitation.
"Hardik was to attend an election rally at 5 pm Thursday at Lunawada and two days ago permission was granted for his helicopter to land at a private land.
"But the owner of the private land on which the temporary helipad was to be constructed for the chopper to land declined (permission) at the last moment," said resident additional collector R R Thakkar.
Since the permission to land his helicopter was cancelled, Hardik Patel travelled to the town by road to address the rally, Thakkar said.
Vinay Patel claimed permission for the helicopter's landing was sought from district authorities here by a local Congress leader without his knowledge.
"On April 16, local Congress leader Suresh Patel had sought permission (from authorities) for a helipad without my knowledge. When I learnt that he was given permission, I raised objection after which action was taken," he said.
"I know Hardik, the Patidar leader from our community, and I know who he is. I object to him putting foot on my land because he is doing politics on the dead bodies of 14 Patidar youths (killed during the quota agitation)," he said.
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Min. Priyank Kharge to expresses concern over implementation of VB-G Ram G
Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the proposed VB-G Ram G scheme, stating that the MNREGA programme, which has been a lifeline for rural India for nearly two decades, appears to be facing an uncertain future.
Speaking to media, Kharge said that as March 31 draws to a close, there is no clarity on the rollout of the new scheme from April 1. He pointed out that the central government has not yet issued the necessary guidelines for implementing the scheme for rural workers and villages.
He criticised the Centre for its lack of preparedness, stating that there is no clarity on fund allocation, no final parameters for classifying gram panchayats, and key processes such as social audits have not been defined.
Kharge said the situation comes at a critical time, as summer marks a peak period for rural employment demand, when many people depend heavily on wage employment for their livelihood.
He added that reports have emerged of delays in approvals and families not receiving work despite demand.
He further alleged that the Centre’s move to shift from a statutory employment guarantee to a rule-based allocation system is already showing negative consequences.
Kharge also raised concerns over provisions such as a mandatory 60-day halt during agricultural seasons, which he said would further limit employment opportunities for rural workers.
The BJP-led central government had claimed that the new scheme would transform rural India, but in reality it is turning out to be detrimental to people’s livelihoods, he said.
“The crisis in rural India due to the stalling of MNREGA is beginning to unfold. Given the Centre’s past record in handling such situations, there is growing concern over the impact on rural livelihoods,” Kharge said.
