RAIPUR: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is supposed to be a cultural organization and has nothing to do with politics, why would they strategize for upcoming elections, said Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel as RSS plans to organise its national level coordination meeting in the Raipur on September 10.
Replying to questions related to the upcoming RSS meet in Raipur, he said: "RSS claims to be a cultural organization and it has no business with 2023 election strategy".
A coordination meeting of office bearers of over 36 RSS-inspired organizations is scheduled to take place between September 10 and 12 and they would participate in sessions to discuss a wide range of issues including education, intelligentsia, economy, service and national security-related issues.
Referring to the next year's assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, the chief minister said the Congress would contest on issues directly related to people, their problems and needs, which include unemployment, inflation and corruption by the Centre. He also maintained that his government was committed to promoting better education facilities through Swami Atmanand Schools.
Stepping up an attack against BJP, Baghel alleged that during its 15 years of reign in the state, the saffron party had closed down 3,000 schools in tribal regions and distanced children from education.
"More than 600 villages in Bastar were uprooted and the school buildings in remotest regions were blown up by Maoists. Most of the schools were brought close to main roads and security camps. But our government have restored over 260 schools back to life in Bastar. They (BJP) doesn’t want tribal to get the education and today we face difficulty to find educated youths in Bastar when recruitment for Bastar fighters is on, because education had come to a standstill for 15 years," CM alleged.
He added that his government is working towards resuming the education of children in these areas. "Be it Surguja or Bastar, people want us to open Swami Atmanad Schools or banks. Our policy is to provide maximum education and facilitate improved and expanded banking services to people who have earned money through our government’s schemes and policies."
Baghel dubbed rumours that his government is planning to have "36 districts in Chhattisgarh."
He said: "In past more than three and half years, we carved out six districts and 85 tehsils, based on the demands and needs of residents in these regions. Chhattisgarh is geographically a huge region but the population is distributed in such a way that the plains have density while the hilly and forest areas have habitats in hamlets or distant locations. Often people find it difficult to travel to district headquarters or tehsil which means both wastages of time and money. Hence, we have done decentralization of administrative unit by making them districts which would be beneficial to people."
"We have no aim to create 36 districts and we take such decisions based on the demands of people", the CM said.
