Saturday, 18 June 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara has said that the Modi government is playing with the future of the youth of the country with its Agnipath scheme.
Interacting with the media persons at headquarters of the Uttarakhand Congress on Friday, Mahara said apart from affecting the future of the youth, the plan of Modi government to undertake contractual recruitment for a period of four years does not augur well for the security of the country. He opined that the government has no answer as to what the recruited youths would do after four years in the army. Terming the scheme as dangerous for the security of the country, the PCC president said that we have international borders with China and Nepal on one side and the border of Pakistan and Bangladesh on another. Launching a scathing attack on the BJP government, Mahara said that the general public had to suffer from the decisions taken by the Modi government in the last eight years. “First the decision of demonetisation forced the poor to stand in long queues, then the traders and farmers were on roads due to GST and farm laws and now the youth of the country would be on roads for recruitment in the army. Protests have started in Bihar, UP, Haryana and Delhi. In Uttarakhand the youths have held agitations in Pithoragarh, Champawat, Khatima and other places. Forty trains in Bihar had to be cancelled due to protests by students,’’ he said.
Mahara added that the defence experts also believe that the decision is akin to compromise with the efficiency, excellence and quality of the security forces. He said that the State of Uttarakhand has a glorious history of serving in the armed forces of the country and the recent decision of the government has created resentment among the youth. Mahara said that in the last two years no recruitment occurred in the armed forces but now the government is testing the patience of the youth with a scheme like Agnipath. He questioned as to why the government which used to recruit 80,000 youth every year in the armed forces is planning to intake only 45,000 youths for a period of four years.
He added that the government has money to finance the corporate houses but not for giving salaries and pensions of the Jawans. The PCC president claimed that the Modi government had promised to provide 10 lakh jobs in 17 years but it could give less than 10 lakh jobs in eight years.
The Congress State vice presidents Mathura Dutt Joshi, Surya Kant Dhasmana, general secretary (Organisation) Vijay Saraswat, media in-charge Rajiv Mehrishi, president of youth Congress Sumittar Bhullar, Garhwal media in-charge Garima Dasauni and others were present on the occasion.
