Congress meets not aimed at removing anybody: Nirupam

Mumbai, Aug 25 (UNI) The Maharashtra Congress today made it clear that that the three-day exercise of interacting with party ministers, MLAs and office-bearers undertaken by AICC general secretary Margaret Alva was not conducted with the objective of removing anybody from their posts.

Expressing disappointment at the ''misreporting'' on the details of the three-day meet in a section of the media, party spokesman Sanjay Nirupam said the meetings were a general review of the functioning of the state party unit and the government. It also aimed at discussing steps to be taken to enhance the co-ordination between the two.

He said issues like farmers' suicide, employment guarantee scheme, implementation of the Srikrishna Commission report, and Mumbai's slum development were some of the subjects which were discussed threadbare.

''The State Government, the State Congress and the AICC are concerned about farmers' suicide despite initiatives being taken. The government has already waived off the interest on the loans taken. There is a suggestion from the party that loans up to Rs 30,000 could be waived. The party has asked the government to examine the suggestion and whether it could benefit the farmers,'' Mr Nirupam added.

He said the Congress-NCP coordination committee meeting could not take place as Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, a prominent member of the coordination committee, was not able to attend since the Parliament Session was in progress as also due to the political upheavals at the Centre.

Mr Nirupam flayed reports that the meeting was cancelled because Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had boycotted it.

To a query on why Mr Deshmukh was not present at the meetings, Mr Nirupam said the Chief Minister was not supposed to be present at the meetings with ministers and MLAs.

He said there was concern in the party about factionalism at the district level units and steps will soon be taken to control it.

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