(Tribune)
Uttarakhand Congress workers, led by former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, staged a two-hour dharna in protest against the hike in the prices of wheat and rice for the Above Poverty Line (APL) beneficiaries by the state government at Gandhi Park here today.Hundreds of Congress party workers who participated in the dharna raised slogans against the state and Central governments. Addressing party workers, Harish Rawat said workers should be ready for struggle for the next five years.
He claimed that his government had ensured cheap ration — Rs 7 per kg each for wheat and rice — to the APL families but the present BJP government not only doubled the rates but also cut the quota of APL families by half.Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said since 2014 the prices of all the essential commodities had risen making life difficult for poor people.
