Sangeeta Pranvendra
Jaipur
The bus controversy between Congress and UP government continues unabated. Dy CM and PCC chief Sachin Pilot has accused the UP government of being apathetic to the migrants. At a press conference in Jaipur on Friday, Pilot said rejecting the buses on the basis of their fitness was a violation of the Union Govt’s directions. Also present in the press conference were AICC secretary Zuber Khan and Rajasthan Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khachariawas. Khan made a startling revelation that even buses sent by UP officials were displayed on the website as autos. He said there can be technical glitches on websites that needed consideration.
Pilot said Priyanka Gandhi had offered 1,000 buses to reduce the plight of the migrants. But the UP govt hampered this facilitation by not giving permission to the buses. Condemning the cases lodged against Congress leaders and their arrests, Rajasthan Dy CM Pilot said the Centre has no policy for the labourers. It had clearly stated fitness and other shortcomings would not be an issue till May 31, but the buses were rejected on these grounds. “We have been working on the initiative taken by our leader Sonia Gandhi who offered to pay the fare of migrants. I would have thanked the UP govt if they had kept a large heart during this time of crisis,” he said. AICC secretary and incharge for UP Zuber Khan said there is a possibility there could be technical glitches on the transport dept website and even buses sent by UP govt to pick students from Kota were being shown on the site as autos.
Meanwhile, about a bill of Rs36 lakh submitted to UP by Rajasthan for fuel for buses ferrying students from Kota, Khachariyawas said, “UP Govt had asked us to submit a bill for the fuel provided to buses sent from UP to pick students from Kota. We sent them a bill of Rs 36 lakh and they have made a payment of Rs 19 lakh.”
