Cong gherao stopped by cops with barricades

Raipur: Thousands of Congress workers gathered at Bharat Mata Chowk in Raipur on Tuesday to march towards the Chhattisgarh Assembly in Nava Raipur. Security forces foiled the 'gherao' attempt by deploying multi-layered barricading to stop the protesters before they could reach the House.The protest, organised under the ‘Save MGNREGA' banner, highlighted several grievances, including rising electricity tariffs, LPG price hikes, and alleged irregularities in paddy procurement. The party also raised concerns over a deteriorating law and order situation and the reported spread of narcotics cultivation in the state. AICC Chhattisgarh in-charge Sachin Pilot, state Congress president Deepak Baij, Leader of Opposition Charandas Mahant, and former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel addressed the gathering. They accused the BJP-led govts at the Centre and in the state of weakening the MGNREGA scheme and neglecting the interests of farmers and labourers.Pilot alleged that changes in funding patterns and the centralisation of decision-making have diluted the effectiveness of the rural employment guarantee scheme.