By IANS,
New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has given her son and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi credit for the decision to protect Orissa’s Niyamgiri region from mining, saying that sustainable development and employment should reach the people.
“The Congress party’s commitment to the welfare of underprivileged and weaker sections was reinforced after the decision to protect the Niyamgiri region from mining by party general secretary Rahul Gandhi who assured the tribal people that their fundamental interests would not be sacrificed in pursuit of developing natural resources,” Sonia Gandhi said in her letter to Congresspersons in the latest issue of party mouthpiece “Sandesh”.
“We must ensure that sustainable development and employment reaches people whose voice is now being heard,” she said.
Rahul Gandhi had addressed a rally of tribals near Niyamgiri Hills two days after the central government denied clearance to Vedanta’s bauxite mining project in the area.
Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh had announced the government’s decision against Vedanta’s plan to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri Hills of Orissa citing violations of environment protection and forest conservation laws.
In her letter, Sonia Gandhi said that the government has a heavy agenda for parliament in the coming months as decisions with far-reaching implications including the food security bill and land acquisition bill have been announced.
“The government has a very heavy agenda in the coming months and decisions with potentially far-reaching implications have been announced. The land acquisition bill, a new food security bill, changes in income tax to benefit individuals and companies while at the same time providing dynamic revenues and strong protection to whistle-blowers are in the pipeline,” she said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told a delegation of party leaders led by Rahul Gandhi that the government will bring the land acquisition amendment bill in the winter session of parliament.
Rahul Gandhi had met the prime minister over demands of farmers from Uttar Pradesh concerning acquisition of their land by the Mayawati government for an expressway and townships along it.
The government is also working on a proposed food security bill for which it has received suggestions from the National Advisory Council.