Rahul launches 'Discover India' campaign

Sinapali, Mar 7 (UNI) AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today launched his 'Discover India' campaign amid tight security from this remote village in the drought-prone Nuapada district of Orissa.

On his arrival from Visakhapatanam, Mr Gandhi visted a Watershed project constructed under the NREGS programme and then went to Nangalpod Gram panchayat where the women self help groups had erected a few stalls displaying their products.

Mr Gandhi interacted with members of the self help group for a few minutes and heard their problems.

The women asked him to reduce the rate of interest on the loan obtained by them to sustain their livelihood.

Mr Gandhi then flew to Lanjigarh where he interacted with the Jharania Kandh and had lunch with them before leaving for Bhawanipatna, the district headquarters of Kalahandi where he is scheduled to address his first public meeting of his 'Discover India' campaign.

Mr Gandhi, who has been projected as the party's future leader, is scheduled to visit some of the areas in undivided Kalahandi to have a face-to-face dialogue with the tribals just as his father Rajiv Gandhi did as the AICC General Secretary during the 1980s.

Most of the places he would visit during his four-day stay in Orissa is aimed at acquainting himself with the people from all sections of life, especially farmers, tribals and Dalits apart from the party workers.

During his interaction, he would apprise them of the various welfare schemes launched by the UPA government and try to 'expose the failure' of the ruling BJD-BJP in implementing the schemes.

The tour which began from Sinapalli area of Nuapada district would be followed by various programmes in Kalahandi, Nawarangpur and Koraput districts of KBK region today and tomorrow before moving to Western Orissa.

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