Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday recounted the positive steps taken by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to improve the economy and uplift the downtrodden and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttarakhand of ‘failing' to utilise the huge Central funds given to the State for development.
Addressing an election rally at the Sikh-dominated Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar for the January 30 Assembly polls, Dr. Singh said the poor just kept waiting for the funds and schemes to percolate down to them. A large number of trained teaching graduates were on dharna and fasts seeking jobs but the State government had not filled the large number of vacancies in the State.
“Similarly other trained youths have been demanding jobs but the BJP leaders seem to have been more busy juggling statistics and shuffling Chief Ministers,” he said.
“Utter neglect”
Dr. Singh said the massive progress witnessed under the Congress regime in Uttarakhand had been undone by the BJP. The people of Rudrapur and surrounding areas were witness to this ‘utter neglect.' The Congress, if voted to power, would not only revive the development tempo but also bring social and economic justice to the poorest among all castes and religions.
“The State saw a robust growth in the field of industrial development. IT parks were set up and new power projects launched during the Congress rule. But the BJP government blocked these activities as soon as it took over,” he said. The Central funds meant for the welfare of various sections such as women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities were also not utilised, Dr. Singh charged.
Describing poverty, illiteracy, health, economic security, environment conservation and national security as the main challenges before the country, he appealed to the people of Uttarakhand to vote for the Congress on January 30, claiming that only this party had the experience, will and capability to deal with them.
State Congress president Yashpal Arya charged the BJP government with high-level loot of the exchequer, land and other resources. “The people have not forgotten the Sturdia land scam, Mahakumbh embezzlement and the move to sell out mini hydro power projects to a cartel.
“Worse, the certificate of corruption was itself given by the BJP by sacking the Chief Minister,” he said.
‘New Year gift'
Ch. Virendra Singh election in-charge for the State said the party would give a government in Utttarakhand as a New Year gift to the Prime Minister.
The former Minister Indira Hirdeyesh contesting from the Haldwani seat said the people were fed up with the BJP ‘misrule' and would vote the Congress to power.
In Dehra Dun, senior leader Anand Sharma addressed meetings in Sahaspur and Raipur and later told a press conference that the party was going from strength to strength.
On the other hand, the BJP ‘riddled with rebellion,' dissolved the district committee of Chamoli as rebels in the three Assembly segments refused to step down, he claimed.
