With eye on civic polls, Cong to hold ‘note pe charcha’

With a two-day agitation against demonetization, the Delhi Congress will kick-start an informal campaign for municipal elections scheduled next year.

The party has decided to hold ‘Note Pe Charcha’ at 280 locations near banks. The event will take place on December 13 and 14.

“Keeping upcoming municipal elections in mind, we are organising this charcha in all 272 wards along with four wards under the New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment board areas. This is our preparations for next elections,” said a senior Delhi Congress functionary.

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said apart from 272 wards, party workers and leaders will engage with people standing outside banks and ATMs and inform them about the messy implementation of the scheme.

A team of party workers is being trained to engage with people. Members of the team will carry booklets detailing the difficulties being faced by people.

The Congress leader said they will also be told how the decision by the Centre has severely affected the small scale industry and hit labour class badly.

“Banning of notes has brought down the production of small scale industries by 20% and the sale of small shopkeepers have slumped to 10% to 12%, leading to severe unemployment. Only, rich are benefitting from the trouble of the poor. This scheme is a big scam,” he said.

Maken alleged the Narendra Modi government’s plan to create a ‘cashless society’ is a farce and cashless transactions are only going to burden the common man, who is charged 2% service charge for every transaction.