Coming: National agri mission

DHARAMSALA: The Centre would soon set up a national agricultural and technological mission as part of the UPA government’s efforts to revive the farm sector, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has said.

Addressing a huge public rally in this idyllic hill town, Ms Gandhi called for ideas to revive the agricultural economy and said everything else could wait.

Welfare of the weaker sections and farming sector was top priority for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, she said. Kangra district being the bastion of Other Backward Classes, Ms Gandhi claimed that the Centre had taken measures to safeguard interests of economically weaker sections and minorities.

She appreciated the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh for its “landmark achievements” in school education, but warned that employment would have to be generated to meet the needs of the educated youth. Underscoring the need to impart education to girls, Ms Gandhi said: “I understand that until women are empowered, the country will
not progress.”

Ms Gandhi blasted the previous NDA government for “discriminating” against Congress-led state governments. She said the 20-point programme, which sought to bring about economic and social transformation, would be reviewed and implemented.

The ruling Congress has been pinning hopes on the charisma of its party supremo to boost its poll prospects in Kangra, the biggest and politically most significant district where it lost much ground due to the exit of four ministers during the ministry downsizing. The state will go for Assembly polls in February ’08. Ms Gandhi had chosen Kangra for her first public meeting with this in mind.

The issue of granting due representation to Kangra is likely to gain ground as Ms Gandhi had met senior leaders. There is a vacancy in the state Cabinet and the nod for the much-awaited expansion of the ministry could happen anytime now.

The Congress chief earlier unveiled a 13-ft tall statue of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at the government ayurvedic college campus at Paprola near Palampur. Agencies added that Ms Gandhi heard out local grievances and promised that the same would be taken up with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme being implemented in two districts, she added, would be extended to all the districts in Himachal Pradesh.

Referring to other local demands like expansion of railway lines and air services, the AICC chief said that efforts would be made to ensure that the major demands were met. In Kangra district, she paid tributes to Capt Vikram Batra and Capt Amol Kalia who were killed during the Kargil conflict.

Virbhadra Singh lamented that there had been no expansion of railway lines in the state since Independence and demanded laying of the Bilaspur-Bhanupali railway line, for which a survey had been conducted, and early completion of Nangal- Talwara railway line.

He said the Prime Minister had assured that Bhanupali- Bilaspur railway line would be taken up as a national project but no progress had been made so far.