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| AICC Gen Secy takes Congress ministers to task, asks them to be present at party headquarters | | Congress workers threaten to launch agitation for full implementation of Panchayati Raj Act | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Sept 22: All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and in-charge Jammu & Kashmir, Ambika Soni today pulled up the Congress ministers in the ruling coalition for their lackadaisical attitude in solving the problems of Congress workers in the state.
Delivering her speech during the one day convention of Congress ministers, legislators and workers at SKICC here, Soni expressed her displeasure that Congress ministers seldom visit the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) headquarters in Srinagar. She asked the Congress ministers to be present at PCC headquarters so that workers could contact them and get their grievances redressed.
"The Congress workers in the state are up against some of the problems and want a solution to the same. The workers are disappointed that ministers seldom listen to their grievances and this disappointment is genuine. It is the duty and responsibility of these ministers to address the grievances of the workers and they need to improve their performance on this front," said Soni.
The AICC general secretary said the ministers should visit the PCC headquarters on frequent basis so that they get a feel of the ground situation more so about the problems being faced by the party workers. She said no minister or legislator or worker would be allowed to undermine the importance of PCC office saying that party is above all the individual members of the party.
"Some of the workers raised the issue of the alienation in the present set up and accused the ministers of coalition partner of not paying heed to their genuine concerns. I have already taken up the issue with the chief minister Omar Abdullah and he has assured me that this would not be repeated in future. I hope the Congress workers would be given due consideration as and when they come up with their problems," said Soni.
Taking part in the convention some of the Congress workers and activists gave vent to their feelings and said that they feel alienated as well as neglected in the present ruling dispensation. These Congress workers and activists said that ministers of National Conference are adopting a step motherly treatment towards them whenever they come forward with their problems.
"It is highly disgusting and disappointing that despite being a part of ruling coalition we are not given due share. Our pleas to get the genuine problems and issues addressed fall on deaf ears of the ministers more so with those of National Conference. Despite raising this issue at many times there is no difference and we continue to suffer at the hands of our coalition partner," said the Congress workers and activists.
During the convention the non-inclusion of 73rd and 74th amendments to the state constitution giving powers to the Panchayati Raj institutions also came up for discussion. It was decided to give two months to National Conference for making the amendments failing which the Congress would think of launching fresh phase of agitation.
"We have given ample time to National Conference for making amendments to the state constitution and so far they failed to do so. In the past we carried out an agitation in this respect and we would repeat this if the amendments are not made in the next two months. Although the coordination committee of the ruling coalition met many time in this regard but no breakthrough whatsoever has been achieved so far," said one of the participants while sharing details to Early Times.
Factionalism among the rank and file of the party cadres also came up during the convention. Both PCC President, Prof. Saif-ud-din Soz and union health minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad who have been at loggerheads at times in past showed a united face and said the party ministers, legislators, workers and activists should work for strengthening the party at the grassroots level.
During the convention it was decided that the party would hold six important functions with three each at Jammu and Srinagar over the next six months. It was also decided that similar functions would also be held in Ladakh. The party leaders exhorted upon the party cadres to work for the overall interests of the party and get ready for 2014 parliamentary and assembly elections. |
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