The United Progressive Alliance government in the Centre and the Democratic Progressive Alliance's DMK government in Tamil Nadu are focusing their programmes and welfare schemes for the uplift of the poor and the downtrodden. "We are going to continue in the manner in which we had worked in the past for the development of the poor," said Indian National Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
Addressing an election rally in support of the DPA candidates here on Wednesday Mr.Gandhi observed that the UPA and the DPA have a basic convergence of ideas in the uplift of the poor. The governments in the Centre and the State have over the years crafted and implemented programmes aimed at the development in particular. "We are working to see a day when there would be no poor," Mr.Gandhi claimed. For that the governments have been working hand in hand, he observed.
Over the last eight years the UPA governments have ensured that the welfare and development programmes were dovetailed to suit the needs of the poor and the needy. Having understood the country and its needs, "wW think about the poor as also the youth." Fruits of development must percolate to the masses and that was what our plans aim at, he said.
Stating that the Congress and the UPA's focus in Tamil Nadu was on economic development, Mr. Gandhi noted that lakhs of jobs have been generated with the opening of numerous industries in the textile, automobile, information technology and other sectors in the State.
Observing that there were issues to be solved in the textile sector, and mosquito net manufacturing industry was among the industries of importance to Karur. Mr.Gandhi promised to look into the issues and said the ‘governments would work together to solve the problems.'
The UPA also ensured that the doors of the banks were thrown open to the poor farmers and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme ensured that the poorest of the poor get at least 100 days of work in a year. Many poor nations were studying the scheme to replicate in their nations, he claimed. Similarly the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission caters to the needs of the poor in the cities, he added.
The Congress has been trying to infuse fresh breathe in the political system and has been systematically grooming youth leaders, he said pointing out that the Congress candidate for Karur Assembly seat S.Jothimani was the All India general secretary of the Youth Congress. Mr. Gandhi also solicited support for the DPA candidates in Karur district.
