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I am on fact-finding mission, says Raje

Special Correspondent

Congress terms Chief Minister's trip to South Rajasthan a `drama'

JAIPUR: Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Wednesday described her four-day trip to the Adivasi areas of South Rajasthan as a mission to establish a dialogue with the people on development. "The purpose of my visit is to gather first-hand information from the people through a mutual dialogue on the work carried out by the State Government," Ms. Raje said interacting with a group of people at Deval village in Dungarpur district on the second day of her trip.

"People ask me why I am here. I want to tell you that I am on a fact-finding mission," Ms. Raje said in a self-explanatory note. "People have intimated me on the problems they face on the water, power and irrigation sectors."

Yet the trip, termed by the Opposition Congress party as a "drama by Ms. Raje to outwit her rivals in the BJP", is proving to be many things rolled into one. On the first day, starting from Gogunda tehsil in Udaipur district, Ms. Raje propitiated the legendary Mewar ruler Maharana Pratap along with the spiritual deities. On the third day on Thursday, Ms. Raje is scheduled to visit Baneshwar and Tripura Sundari, two temples associated with Adivasi psyche.

Ms. Raje visits Tripura Sundari, one of the Shakti Peeths, at regular intervals.

The Congress party alleged police blocking its workers from submitting a memorandum to Chief Minister in Dungarpur on the second day. According to Param Navdeep Singh, the Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson, 39 Adivasis were arrested in Dungarpur and 25 in Simalwara on Wednesday when they tried to protest peacefully against the non-fulfilment of promises made by the BJP in its election manifesto, and submit a memorandum to Ms. Raje.

The Raje package for Adivasis includes both tricks and treats. On the first day she announced the Government's decision to withdraw all minor cases against Adivasis pending in the courts, including cases registered under Excise laws in connection with the making of Mahuwa, a favourite brew of the tribals, made out of the flowers of Mahuwa tree.

However, while addressing the meetings, conducted mostly in an interactive style, she appealed the people to kick the habit of drinking as well as to stop brewing the liquor, which were causing hardships to their households. She promised not to impose tax on Mahuwa.

On the second day while interacting in Adivasi villages she told the inhabitants about the need to conserve water. A campaign would be carried out in the State from May 16 to June 16 in about 20,000 villages to construct water structures including anicuts, check dams and small water bodies. On the power front, she said, once the feeder improvement work gets completed in the next two-three years the villagers would get domestic power throughout the day. The State would be spending Rs.5000 crores to repair 8000 feeders, she informed.

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I am on fact-finding mission, says Raje

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