Surat: Sam Pitroda, adviser to the Gandhi family, said Congress has for the first time experimented with institutionalizing the process of drafting of manifesto for poll-bound Gujarat.
Pitroda was in the city to listen to people's demands and issues so as to help draft an inclusive manifesto for Congress ahead of the assembly polls. Before he concluded his five-day visit to the state, the well-known technocrat interacted with trade representatives, academicians, health workers, students, realtors, zari manufacturers, diamond merchants etc. to gather inputs for the manifesto here on Monday.
Talking to media persons, Pitroda said, "This is first time that Congress has institutionalized the process of drafting manifesto. The brain behind this is Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who has entrusted me with the responsibility of drafting manifesto after listening to people's demands and issues."
He and others in the party had been to Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Vadodara. Surat was the last stop in their five-day long journey to gather people's views. Congress leaders will sit in Ahmedabad from Tuesday to draft the manifesto for Gujarat assembly elections.
Asked about issues that came up during his visit, Pitroda said, "Privatization of eduction in Gujarat is a major issue. Students have been made to pay hefty fees for education. Health is another sector where the present government has failed to deliver. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been hit hard due to Goods and Service Tax. There are farmers' issues because of land reservation and acquisition by the government, women issues like safety, employment, equality and security etc. We want politics of real development, inclusiveness and good governance and above all seek to establish the Gandhian model in Gujarat."
Talking on Patidar reservation issue, Pitroda said, "I will not comment on Patidar issue as the party is seeking legal opinion on this. It is prime agenda of the party."
About 'Vikas Gando Thayo Che' meme, Pitroda said, "Vikas has really gone mad in Gujarat. Why because only a handful of big industrialists have been benefitted, while large sections of people are suffering. There was no need to give a huge patch of land for Nano car project and subsidy of crores of rupees to a private company. Had the government used the funds to provide farm loans, farmers in Gujarat would have been more than happy."
Pitroda was in the city to listen to people's demands and issues so as to help draft an inclusive manifesto for Congress ahead of the assembly polls. Before he concluded his five-day visit to the state, the well-known technocrat interacted with trade representatives, academicians, health workers, students, realtors, zari manufacturers, diamond merchants etc. to gather inputs for the manifesto here on Monday.
Talking to media persons, Pitroda said, "This is first time that Congress has institutionalized the process of drafting manifesto. The brain behind this is Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who has entrusted me with the responsibility of drafting manifesto after listening to people's demands and issues."
He and others in the party had been to Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Vadodara. Surat was the last stop in their five-day long journey to gather people's views. Congress leaders will sit in Ahmedabad from Tuesday to draft the manifesto for Gujarat assembly elections.
Asked about issues that came up during his visit, Pitroda said, "Privatization of eduction in Gujarat is a major issue. Students have been made to pay hefty fees for education. Health is another sector where the present government has failed to deliver. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been hit hard due to Goods and Service Tax. There are farmers' issues because of land reservation and acquisition by the government, women issues like safety, employment, equality and security etc. We want politics of real development, inclusiveness and good governance and above all seek to establish the Gandhian model in Gujarat."
Talking on Patidar reservation issue, Pitroda said, "I will not comment on Patidar issue as the party is seeking legal opinion on this. It is prime agenda of the party."
About 'Vikas Gando Thayo Che' meme, Pitroda said, "Vikas has really gone mad in Gujarat. Why because only a handful of big industrialists have been benefitted, while large sections of people are suffering. There was no need to give a huge patch of land for Nano car project and subsidy of crores of rupees to a private company. Had the government used the funds to provide farm loans, farmers in Gujarat would have been more than happy."
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