Youths know Modi, Nitish looted Bihar: Rahul Gandhi
Katihar (Bihar): Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged they have "looted" Bihar, and claimed that people have decided to vote them out of power.
Addressing a poll rally here, the former Congress president criticised the NDA government over demonetisation, migrant crisis, GST, handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the three new farm laws.
He said neither Modi nor Kumar did anything to help migrant labourers when they were walking thousands of kilometres to return homes during the coronavirus lockdown.
"The Congress had arranged buses for the movement of migrant workers. We are not in power so we could not do it for millions, but we helped as many people as we could," he said.
Gandhi also claimed the PM and the Bihar CM have failed to fulfil promises on development and job creation.
"I want to ask all the youth who are here that Modi ji had said he will give two crore jobs every year, Nitish ji said the same, but where are the jobs? Why are the youth unemployed today?" he said.
He also alleged that farmers are angry with Modi over the three recently enacted agricultural laws.
"And that is why farmers in Punjab burnt the effigies of Narendra Modi, Ambani and Adani on Dusshera. The truth (of these laws) has come out in Punjab. It has come out in Bihar as well."
He said demonetisation hurt the poor but benefited the big "chosen" corporate and GST has harmed small shopkeepers.
The Congress leader further stated that at least 20 per cent of the maize produced in the country comes from Bihar, but "do you get the right price? What did Modi ji and Nitish ji do to get you the right price?"
"Every youth of Bihar knows that Narendra Modi and Nitishji have together looted Bihar. They have destroyed Bihar's small shopkeepers. And now the youth and the farmer of Bihar have decided to vote for Grand Alliance," he added.
Gandhi is scheduled to address another rally during the day.
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Chhattisgarh govt enforces austerity measures, restricts foreign travel and cuts convoy vehicles
Raipur (PTI): The Chhattisgarh government on Saturday rolled out a set of austerity measures, including restricted use of convoy vehicles for the chief minister, ministers and heads of state-run bodies, besides curbs on foreign travel at government expense.
The state has decided to implement the cost-saving steps with immediate effect to ensure efficient management of financial resources and discipline in public spending, said a directive issued by Finance Secretary Rohit Yadav.
The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
The order said that only essential vehicles should be used in the convoys of the CM, ministers and office-bearers of corporations, boards and commissions, while ensuring restrained use of other government resources.
It also directed departments to take steps for a phased conversion of all official vehicles into electric vehicles in order to promote the use of EVs.
As part of fuel-saving measures, expenditure on petrol and diesel for government vehicles should be kept to a minimum, the directive said.
Vehicle pooling arrangements should also be implemented for officials of departments travelling to the same destination, it added.
The order further stated that foreign travel of government employees at state expenses will be completely prohibited except under extremely unavoidable circumstances. In such cases, prior approval of the CM will be mandatory.
To reduce administrative expenditure, departments have been instructed to hold physical meetings preferably only once a month and encourage virtual and online meetings. Regular departmental review meetings should compulsorily be conducted through video conferencing, it said.
The government also stressed the need for energy conservation in its offices, directing that all electrical equipment, including lights, fans, air-conditioners and computers, must be switched off after office hours.
The directive will remain effective till September 30 this year.
Amid the war involving the US, Israel and Iran, Modi has suggested reducing petrol and diesel consumption, using metro rail services in cities, carpooling, increased use of EVs, utilising railway services for parcel movement and working from home to conserve foreign exchange.
