Cong workers get history,law lessons

With its support base dwindling and Trinamool Congress breathing down its neck — despite an alliance — the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) has launched the project aimed at training its grassroots-level workers. Union Finance Minister and WBPCC chief Pranab Mukherjee launched the training programme at Jangipur in Murshidabad today.

The project has been organised by Mahua Moitra,Rahul Gandhi’s Aam Aadmi Ka Sipahi in Bengal,who has a corporate background as former vice-president of J P Morgan in London. Apart from criminal law,various pro-people central government schemes like NREGA and RTI and history of the 125-year-old party will also be taught at the grassroots level.

“Our aim is to train atleast eight Congress workers in every booth in Bengal. This programme will be implemented in all 341 blocks of the state. Murhsidabad is the first district where the project has been undertaken,because we are strong here. Later,one by one other districts will hold such training sessions. This has become necessary to boost our organisation at the lowest level,” Moitra told The Indian Express.

“Bengal is now a hotbed of political violence. Congress workers and supporters are attacked and killed everyday by their political rivals. False cases are slapped against our workers. Each worker must know how to lodge a proper FIR and they must know about the various criminal and civil sections and how to obtain bail,” added Moitra.

Moreover,with the state Assembly elections due in 2011,the state Congress has decided to spruce up its booth level workers. “We must train workers in each booth during elections. They must know how to organise supporters,what to do the night before and on the election day. Those workers who are agents inside the booths must know how to deal with the problems,” Moitra said.

The history of Congress party and its relevance in national politics is also among the modules to be taught to each Congress workers. This is not only to boost self confidence,but also make them aware of the heritage of the party.

No increase in budget allocation if Bengal fails to utilise funds for rural development: Pranab
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said that if the state government failed to properly utilise the money for rural development,budget allocation cannot be increased in the next financial year.

He was speaking at a programme in Jangipur of Murhsidabad district.

“In the last budget,40 per cent of the money had been allocated for rural development. I tell the government that if they cannot spend the money allocated to the state,development will be hampered. Also,then we will not be able to increase the budget allocation in the next financial year,” said Mukherjee.

Inaugurating an arsenic-free water treatment plant in Jangipur,he said the performance of the CPM-led government in rural development is unsatisfactory.

In a separate programme in Raghunathpur,the minister reacted sharply to the recent statements made by state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta,who demanded that the Governor’s post should be abolished.

“The Governor’s post is a constitutional post. There has been no constitutional amendment to remove him and I feel there is no need for that,” Mukherjee said.