TNI Bureau: The Jharsuguda District Congress Committee organised a major protest rally in Jharsuguda against the alleged scrapping of MGNREGA, rising electricity charges, and irregularities in paddy procurement.
The protest was led by PCC president Bhakta Charan Das and AICC Odisha in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu, under the leadership of district Congress president Jiban Sarthak Das. A large procession was taken out from the district Congress office, with leaders offering floral tributes to statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri before culminating in a public meeting near the MCL auditorium.
Addressing the gathering, Bhakta Charan Das alleged that Jharsuguda residents are living in a highly polluted environment due to industrial emissions, which he said are destroying agriculture and public health. “Industries have profited from Jharsuguda’s resources, but local people have been neglected,” he said, adding that the district still lacks adequate healthcare facilities.
Das accused the central government of effectively dismantling the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replacing it with a system that, he claimed, removes job guarantees, reduces central funding, and weakens the role of gram panchayats. He demanded the restoration of MGNREGA in its original form.
He also criticised the state government over electricity tariffs, alleging that despite election promises of providing 300 units of free power, consumers are now facing higher bills and additional security deposits. He accused the government of favouring industries while burdening farmers and household consumers.
On paddy procurement, Das alleged collusion between rice mill owners and the government, claiming that farmers are being short-changed through deductions and delays, and that promises to procure all paddy at minimum support price (MSP) have not been honoured.
AICC Odisha in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu criticised the state government’s policies towards electricity consumers, farmers and motorists, saying their concerns are now reflected in Congress’s protests.
Several senior Congress leaders, including former Speaker Kishore Patel, PCC vice-president Santosh Singh Saluja, and other party functionaries, participated in the protest.
The Jharsuguda District Congress Committee organised a major protest rally in Jharsuguda against the alleged scrapping of MGNREGA, rising electricity charges, and irregularities in paddy procurement.
The protest was led by PCC president Bhakta Charan Das and AICC Odisha in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu, under the leadership of district Congress president Jiban Sarthak Das. A large procession was taken out from the district Congress office, with leaders offering floral tributes to statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri before culminating in a public meeting near the MCL auditorium.
Addressing the gathering, Bhakta Charan Das alleged that Jharsuguda residents are living in a highly polluted environment due to industrial emissions, which he said are destroying agriculture and public health. “Industries have profited from Jharsuguda’s resources, but local people have been neglected,” he said, adding that the district still lacks adequate healthcare facilities.
Das accused the central government of effectively dismantling the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replacing it with a system that, he claimed, removes job guarantees, reduces central funding, and weakens the role of gram panchayats. He demanded the restoration of MGNREGA in its original form.
He also criticised the state government over electricity tariffs, alleging that despite election promises of providing 300 units of free power, consumers are now facing higher bills and additional security deposits. He accused the government of favouring industries while burdening farmers and household consumers.
On paddy procurement, Das alleged collusion between rice mill owners and the government, claiming that farmers are being short-changed through deductions and delays, and that promises to procure all paddy at minimum support price (MSP) have not been honoured.
AICC Odisha in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu criticised the state government’s policies towards electricity consumers, farmers and motorists, saying their concerns are now reflected in Congress’s protests.
Several senior Congress leaders, including former Speaker Kishore Patel, PCC vice-president Santosh Singh Saluja, and other party functionaries, participated in the protest.
