Arvind Kejriwal, National Convener of the Aam Admi Party, on Sunday launched a scathing attack on two companies that supply power to New Delhi, saying that contract labour was routinely exploited at the power stations and that workers’ dues were siphoned off by the companies.

Addressing his first rally in Maharashtra, after the formation of the party, Kejriwal said the power companies have over 40,000 workers of which 30,000 are on contracts. “Most of them are given Rs 9,000 as salary, but it is only for maintaining the account books,’’ Kejriwal charged, adding, “In reality, these workers make about Rs 5,000. The rest of the money goes in the Swiss accounts of these companies.’’ 

He added, “I have enough of proof of their complicity.’’

The rally was held at Roha in Raigad district, the constituency of Irrigation Minister of Maharashtra Sunil Tatakre. Over 10,000 supporters of various regional parties and environmental action groups were present at the rally.

Referring to the white paper on the status of irrigation in Maharashtra, which has been presented in the State Cabinet, Kejriwal said that the paper is a sham. He added that it has been prepared to give a clean chit to NCP leader Ajit Pawar.

At the rally, Kejriwal released the first part of what he termed the ‘black paper’ on the issue.

The black paper has challenged the Maharashtra Water Resources Department’s claim that the irrigated area in the State from 2000-01 to 2010-11 had risen by 72 per cent, from 17.5 lakh hectares to 29 lakh hectares.

Party rationale

Explaining the rationale for forming the new party, Kejriwal said it is the party for the common man and has been formed not for power but to change the very way the political system works in India.

 “In December 2011, political parties did not support us when we demanded Lokpal. They challenged us to contest polls. That’s when we decided to form a political party. We will get into Parliament and make a difference,” he said.  

 Kejriwal added that people were suffering, because the land to construct dams across the state has been forcefully taken.  In Thane district, the Lendi dam has displaced many adivasis , he charged. With regards to the Karkunde dam in Ratnagiri, he said people who were relocated and advised to live in the hills five years ago, have still not been rehabilitated.

Public rally

Lawyer and member of the national executive of the party Prashant Bhushan said the public rally was to send out a message that the party was not just for the urban population, but also for the rural masses,

Roha in Raigad district, the constituency of Tatakre, was chosen for the rally so as to drive home the point about the irrigation scam in Maharashtra, he said.

 Terming it a protest rally against large-scale land grab, Bhushan said most similar instances were under the name of development. The Jaitapur nuclear project in Ratnagiri is one of them, he added, which poses a grave danger to the life of people living around the project area. Since the project site is in a seismic active zone, a new environmental impact analysis should be done, Bhushan said.

 “Just because India is a signatory to the 123 agreement with the US, that does not mean lives of people should be put in danger,” Bhushan added.

rahul.wadke@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW