Patna, Sept 9: In what appeared to be actions to bring his party on an election mode, the AICC general secretary, Digvijay Singh, today announced that Congress workers would begin organising block-level meetings.

Interestingly, the meetings at block headquarters would be to “educate the masses” on the “benefits” of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

Singh said: “Even Central ministers would attend a few of those meetings. They would highlight on the Congress’s achievements and its role in nation building in the past 60 years after India’s independence. Besides, Manmohan Singh government’s success in striking a crucial deal with the US, aimed at augmenting country’s nuclear energy.”

Asked if there was a possibility of mid-term poll in the wake of the Congress-Left stand off over the nuke issue, Digvijay Singh, who is also the Bihar in charge said: “We are not for mid-term polls. The Congress will not like to force a premature poll on the country. But the Congress will surely and successfully will fight the polls if it is forced by the Left.”

He parried the question if the Left was indeed “forcing a poll” over the issue.

Taking a pot shot on the BJP, the AICC general secretary said: “Now the BJP has stooped down to rangdari (extortion) in Bihar. But all of us know that it (BJP) is a wicked party.”

He was probably referring to the Bihar BJP MLA, Premranjan Patel, who recently hit the headlines for allegedly demanding rangdari from a construction company.

Interestingly, Singh was soft on the Nitish Kumar government.

“There is an improvement in the process of providing relief to the flood-affected people. The government has stepped up its flood-relief operations,” he admitted.

Digvijay Singh, however, pointed out that the government was not “fully utilising” the fund provided to it by the Centre.

“The Centre sanctioned Rs 2,400 crore to the state under the 10th five year plan to improve the condition of the poor and carry out grassroots development work. But, the government has so far used only 27 per cent of that fund.”

He added that the Bihar officials were using “impractical rules” to deny the relief to the marooned people.

“For instance they have made the clearance of land tax as pre-condition for the payment of Rs 4,000 on damaged crop in per hectare of land as relief,” he said, adding: “The officials should not put any pre-condition in providing relief to the people.”

“The state government should come out of the shackles of the rules in the hours of crisis to help the marooned people,” he observed.