Sonia Gandhi : Dr Kurien was a man of extraordinary vision

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi condoled the demise of Verghese Kurien, the Milkman of India who is the architect of the largest dairy development programme in the world.

"I am deeply grieved to learn of the passing away of Dr Verghese Kurien. Dr Kurien was a man of extraordinary vision, whose achievements in the dairy industry empowered hundreds of thousands of farmers, created a model for milk cooperatives that has inspired millions of others," said Sonia Gandhi in her message.

The Congress President said that 'Operation Flood', launched by Kurien, remains a proud landmark in the history of modern India and is admired and emulated the world over. "In the passing away of Dr Kurien, India has lost a towering figure who contributed immeasurably to our progress and development. We will always honour his memory and draw inspiration from his life work," Sonia Gandhi added.

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‘Don’t forget, we are all Indians’, says Rahul Gandhi during his Assam visit

Kokrajhar: Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi visited the relief camps in the violence-hit state of Assam at Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Chirang districts. For security reasons his schedule was changed at the last moment as he landed on a football field near Gambari Beel Relief Camp in Gosaingaon. This subdivision under Kokrajhar district was the epicentre of the violence which started on July 6.

At Gambari Rahul Gandhi went interacted with the victims. Rahul Gandhi gave a patient hearing to the complaints from various people in the region. On his way out he stretched his arms to people caged inside barricades. Hundreds of people gathered around the helipad to have a glimpse of Rahul Gandhi.

Wherever Rahul Gandhi went he tried a healing touch and gave a listening ear. Ahila Begum who escaped with her only son after her husband was shot dead was weeping before him at Basugaon relief camp. She later told us, "I told him am left with an infant and he said he will look into the matter." That was a lot of hope for the young widow.

Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. "I think what happened here is a tragedy everybody should work together to see this pass. I came here to see this with my own eyes. PM had come and its quite shocking what I have seen today which I will carry with me for a long time. We are Indian people and we shouldn't forget we are Indians" said Rahul Gandhi.

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Pro-poor legislations by the UPA because of Sonia Gandhi’s Interventions

The information gathered through the Right to Information Act confirms that regular interventions by Congress President Sonia Gandhi were instrumental for many of the important legislations made by by the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. For example, on January 14, 2011, the Congress President wrote to the Prime Minister, pointing out that domestic workers were not included in the Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010, a legislation that NAC had been examining. "Domestic work is under-valued and poorly regulated and the workers are often underpaid and ill-treated. Their workplace being the confines of private homes, domestic workers, especially live-in workers, are prone to sexual harassment and abuse," wrote Sonia Gandhi. "This being so, exclusion of domestic workers from the purview of the Bill enhances their vulnerability," added Sonia Gandhi. The final draft of the Bill, passed by the Cabinet in May 2012, duly includes her recommendation on domestic workers.

Here are some more instances of positive and effective intervention by Sonia Gandhi. On August 20, 2010, the UPA chairperson wrote to the then law minister M Veerappa Moily, asking him to coordinate with the Ministry of Women and Child Development for an effective legislation to address sexual offences against children. "In the above context, the Ministry of Law and Justice may work in coordination with the Ministry of Women and Child Development to enable the finalisation of such a draft legislation, so that it can be brought to Parliament expeditiously," says the letter by Sonia Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi also wrote another letter to the then Home Minister on January 18, 2011, on the issue of Jarawa tribes of Andaman and Nicobar islands. Raising concern over local tourism operations and the highway passing through the Jarawa reserve, the UA chairperson noted, "The Ministry of Home Affairs may coordinate with them (Tribal Affairs Ministry) so that all issues related to the Jarawa tribe are comprehensively addressed." On October 27, 2010 Sonia Gandhi wrote to the prime minister saying, "As NAC firms up the draft Bill, it might be useful for the government to consider preparation for a timely and successful national roll-out of this ambitious Act."

Sonia Gandhi also suggested Dr. Singh on November 10, 2010, to consider the rural development ministry's proposal to involve the Registrar General and Census Commissioner to conduct socio-economic survey to gauge the number of below poverty line families. "May I suggest that the proposal mooted by MoRD be examined in your office," she wrote. Within seven months, the proposal was examined by the Prime Minister's office and got the Cabinet's approval on June 19, 2011.

The above mentioned facts prove beyond doubt that Sonia Gandhi played an important role in making many of the land mark policies by the UPA Government at the Centre. We can see the touch of Sonia Gandhi in National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Right to Information Act, Mid-day meal scheme for the school children, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Anti Communalism Bill and Food security Bill. Sonia Gandhi is also keen to get the Women Reservation Bill implemented. 

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Sonia Gandhi’s intervention behind landmark legislations by the Congress-led UPA

The information gathered through Right to Information Act shows that UPA chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi has been consistently giving direction for more pro-poor welfare policies for the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre. The information reveals constructive role by the Congress President in most of the important legislations and policies made by the UPA government. Sonia Gandhi wrote almost one letter a month to the Prime Minister over the past two years, says the information.

Sonia Gandhi has been regularly giving directions to the Congress-led Centre and she has been making effective interventions for the legislations like food security, sexual offences against children, manual scavenging, communal violence, domestic workers and tribal welfare in particular.

As per the information the Congress President has written 25 letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and 17 letters to various Cabinet ministers since the National Advisory Council (NAC) was constituted for the second time in 2010.

Sonia Gandhi, who heads NAC, has actively championed her social reforms agenda by writing to the Prime Minister most often, as many as four times, on various aspects of the National Food Security Bill. Of the 17 letters written to Cabinet ministers, four related to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, followed by three on issues pertaining to the Forest Rights Act.

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Sonia Gandhi’s intervention ensures 24x7 power supply in Raebareli, Amethi

An effective intervention by the Raebareli MP and Congress President Sonia Gandhi  her parliamentary constituency, will now have an uninterrupted power supply. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav late on Tuesday issued orders to also ensure round-the-clock power supply to Amethi also, the parliamentary constituency of Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Officials of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) confirmed that a missive to this effect was received from senior officials. The decision to include the two districts in the 'No power-cut VVIP list' was taken after a request was made by Sonia Gandhi to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Sonia had walked up to Yadav before parliamentary proceedings started in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and had requested the Yadav chieftain to "do something about the power crisis in Raebareli".

"Soniaji told Netaji that owing to poor power supply, the farmers and industry in the district were suffering," said a source After the day's proceedings in Parliament were stalled, Yadav rang up his son and UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and asked him to ensure 24x7 power supply to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi's constituencies. Following this, orders were issued to UPPCL officials, compliance with which was ensured on Wednesday morning.

So far, districts exempt from power cuts include Mainpuri (Mulayam Singh Yadav is MP from here), Kannauj (the chief minister's wife Dimple Yadav is a first-time MP from here), Rampur (Urban Development Minister Azam Khan is an MLA from here) and Etawah (the home district of the Yadav family). The state reels under an unprecedented power crisis. Urban areas suffer outages that last up to four hours, while the countryside routinely faces up to eight hours with no power.

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Sonia Gandhi writes to PM: Govt must reduce unnecessary expenditure

New Delhi: Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking the Government to cut down unnecessary expenditure by avoiding ostentatious displays during functions organised at memorials of leaders in Delhi.

In her letter to Singh, Sonia Gandhi also wanted the government to take measures to ensure that there was minimum inconvenience to the public on such occasions. “The import of the letter is that the expenditure on such programmes should be minimised. Sonia Gandhi wanted that instead of creating a pomp and show, it will be better if sincere people go there out of genuine feelings," said a Congress leader.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has begun to act on Sonia Gandhi's request and will start taking steps to reduce the number of functions held at these memorials. The letter was sent a few days after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's birth anniversary on August 20.

The government at present organises six functions to mark birth and death anniversaries at the memorials of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri. Some other functions are also organised by various trusts and the government facilitates these functions.

There has been some criticism in the past of the government spending huge money on advertisements by ministries and departments to mark some of these anniversaries.

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NAC chaired by Sonia Gandhi reviews its activities

The reconstituted National Advisory Council (NAC) which had met recently reviewed the progress since it was formed two years ago. Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is the head of the NAC.

The meeting, chaired by Sonia Gandhi, approved a report which takes stock of the work done in the past in terms of issues taken up and recommendations made to the union government. Union ministries of labour and employment and finance made presentations before the NAC on its recommendations to the government on social security for the unorganised sector.

These included universalising maternity benefit of Rs.1,000 for six months to pregnant and nursing mothers under the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana in 52 districts, widening of the health insurance cover under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana to the unorganised sector workers and enhancing the life and disability insurance, as well as the pension scheme.

In the past year, the NAC has sent the draft National Food Security Bill and the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011, to the government. Soni8a Gandhi was eager to get these bills passed at the earliest.

While the Food Security Bill is being examined by a Parliamentary Standing Committee, the Communal Violence Bill is being considered by the home ministry. The NAC also discussed issues such as ways to prohibit manual scavenging, protect the livelihood rights of street vendors and enhance the rights of persons with disabilities and land acquisition. NAC under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi was instrumental in the UPA policies like MGNREGA, Right to information, Right to education  and the above said new proposals also show the commitment of the NAC and its chairperson Sonia Gandhi towards the poor and the downtrodden in the country.

The advisory body has already given its inputs on draft legislations to protect children against sexual offences, prevent sexual harassment of women at the workplace and has suggested amendments to existing laws on prohibiting child labour.

Earlier, the NAC had sent recommendations to the government on social sector policies relating to the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan, denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes, the Jarawa tribe, domestic workers, shelters and other services for the urban homeless, unorganised sector workers, and on improving the sex ratio at birth.

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