Ahmedabad, April 26 (IANS) The Gujarat Congress on Tuesday launched a three-day 'Pani Yatra' (march for water) across the state to give what it called a "wake-up call" to the BJP government for the severe water crisis in the state.
The march launched simultaneously from 14 places across Gujarat will cover all the districts before culminating in four cities in four different zones -- Rajkot (Saurashtra), Mehsana (north Gujarat), Vadodara (central Gujarat) and Surat (south Gujarat).
Giving details, state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki said: "In spite of the acute water shortage in many villages, the state's Bharatiya Janata Party government is still shying from declaring them as scarcity-hit or drought-hit."
"To wake up this government, the Congress has launched the 'Pani Yatra' across Gujarat on April 26, 27 and 28," Solanki added.
Congress national general secretary Gurudas Kamat, who is in charge of theparty's affairs in Gujarat, along with Leader of Opposition in the assembly Shankersinh Vaghela, was present at a meeting held to discuss the water issue as well as several other problems facing the state.
Solanki also announced protests across Gujarat on April 30 to corner the BJP government on alleged irregularities in the KG oil basin operations.
Vaghela asked party workers to gear up for the 2017 elections and announced holding of a 'Lok Darbar' in his constituency of Kapadvanj in Kheda district.
"The Congress will start public meetings in the form of 'Lok Darbar' from May 9. It will kick-start from Kapadvanj and later be held across the state. In these meetings, we will highlight the issues concerning people, such as rampant corruption, unemployment and law and order," Vaghela said.
Kamat said: "Time has come to highlight the problems faced by the people of Gujarat as this government has miserably failed to keep its promises. The Congress will initiate a mass movement to address the plight of the state's residents."
