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Sonia to visit drought-hit areas of Rajasthan today

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday will visit drought-hit areas in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. Ms.Gandhi, visiting the State exactly after a year, is also scheduled to address a "political training" camp of party workers in the State at Padampura near here on the same day and stay overnight.

Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot said here that Ms.Gandhi would interact with the drought affected people in western Rajasthan during her one-day visit to the area. The Bharatiya Janata Party Government in the State had been ignoring the plight of the affected people by not providing adequate employment and provisions for the protection of the livestock. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje did not tour the drought-affected areas even once, he charged.

Speaking on phone from Jaisalmer, Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Jai Singh said Ms.Gandhi, after arriving at Longowala airstrip at 9 in the morning, would visit the drought relief camp at Mool Sagar in Jaisalmer district. She will also visit the work sites at Damodra, Kanoi and Sam in the district to interact with those employed in relief works. Her schedule included inspection of cattle camps and facilities for those employed in relief works, Mr.Singh, who PCC in charge of the region, said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged a political motive to Ms.Gandhi's visit terming it a desperate attempt to re-vitalize a demoralized party in the State. In a statement here the party said the visit was also an attempt to bring together the divided groups in the Congress. The party was feeling insecure with the recent successful Jal Chetna Yatra of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her trip to the Adivasi areas, a statement from the BJP office here said.

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