Congress stages dharna over SEBC quota in Bhubaneswar
Besides, the quota should be raised to 27 per cent in all educational institutions and jobs, the party demanded. However, the growing unhappiness among the senior leaders over the list of state office-bearers came to the fore at the dharna as many of them did not participate in it.
Those who remained absent included former Union minister Srikant Jena, former OPCC president Jayadev Jena, leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Ramachandra Kadam, former minister Panchanan Kanungo and Mohammed Moquim.
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NDTV
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- NDTV
"Ignore Baseless Allegations": Poll Body On Rahul Gandhi's Voter Fraud Claim
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
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Time of India
an hour ago
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100 day's work: TMC, CPM & Cong mull contempt plea after Centre fails HC deadline
Kolkata: With the Calcutta High Court-mandated Aug 1 deadline to Centre to resume the 100 days' work programme in Bengal getting over on Friday, Trinamool, CPM and Congress spoke in one voice to target BJP for ignoring the state's poor. The parties indicated they would move court against Centre for contempt. On June 18, the HC had directed "prospective implementation" of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Scheme (MGNREGS), suspended in Bengal for close to three years, from Aug 1. Saying that the scheme could not be "put in cold storage for eternity", a bench led by the Chief Justice had allowed Centre to impose special conditions and restrictions to check the irregularities and for recovery of money misappropriated in the past. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: "This is blatant discrimination. People have worked but have not been paid. Uttar Pradesh, as per Centre's own data, has the highest number of fake job cards but it still gets funds. They are even disregarding HC orders to browbeat Bengal. This is sheer contempt of court." CPM has been protesting at block levels over the past month demanding restoration of 100 days' work and for non-payment of pending wages. "If 100 days' work is not restored following the court order, we will take it to the streets. We are also looking at taking legal recourse," CPM state secretary Md Salim said. Pradesh Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said: "Investigation into cases of corruption should be done. But that cannot be used as an excuse to deny the scheme that has a huge impact on rural livelihoods. If necessary, Congress will take legal recourse. The state govt, on the other hand, should come out with a white paper on the accounts of 100 days' work." Bengal BJP said there was lack of clarity in the high court's order. "The court, on the one hand, said that 100 days' work cannot be stopped. On the other hand, it has given a go-ahead to the investigation into allegations of corruption and agreed to Centre imposing conditions," state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said. "The CM met the PM with a delegation of parliamentarians. She said that the matter will be resolved through secretary-level meetings between Centre and state. The meetings never took place," Bhattacharya added.
