Ministers educate Congress spokespersons on key issues

Gearing up for the 2014 elections, Congress ministers, including Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, are educating party spokespersons on issues like the food security ordinance and the state of the economy, party sources said Monday.

The United Progressive Alliance's key social welfare initiative, the food security ordinance, top the agenda on the first day of a two-day all-India communication workshop for party spokespersons and media panellists which was opened here by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, the sources said.

Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution K.V. Thomas and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh will brief the gathering about the food ordinance, which aims to provide subsidised food grain to around 67 percent of India's 1.2 billion population.

Congress MP Deepender Hooda's team will educate the spokespersons on the effective use of social media to put across their views.

Chidambaram will brief the spokespersons and media panellists on the state of the Indian economy and the future ahead with a comparison between growth achieved during the past nine years of UPA rule and that of Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance 1998-2004.

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma will lecture the gathering on the positive impact of the manufacturing policy and the recent move to attract more foreign funds.

On Tuesday, Congress MP and spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit will train the gathering in research methodologies, followed by dos and don'ts on TV by Sanjay Jha.

Minister Of State For Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor will talk about the communication challenges in the present scenario and Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari will give tips on how to prepare for an effective debate.

The training session will end with group discussions for state representatives and members of the Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India.