Appealing to the voters to exercise their franchise in favour of the Congress combine in the Assembly polls, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said if the party was returned to power it will put Puducherry on the world map. “If you vote for the Congress, we will give you a government that will work for the interest of Puducherry. A government that will work to improve the lot of the poor people and will ensure that Puducherry is placed on the world map,” he said addressing an election meeting at Villianur on Thursday.
Listing out the schemes implemented by the government, he said though the government has done a lot, the potential of Puducherry “is almost unlimited.”
“We have to ensure that the benefits of the unlimited potential reach the ordinary public,” he added.
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The Centre and Union Territory are ruled by Congress-led governments. Both the governments have ensured very fast economic growth.
While the country is growing at a rate of 8 per cent, the Union Territory achieved a growth rate of 14 per cent, he noted. However, he said unless the economic growth was inclusive, the country cannot achieve overall development.
At the meeting Mr Gandhi introduced candidates of his party and that of alliance partners. Earlier in the day, after landing at Puducherry airport, the Congress leader conducted a road show from Maducarai to Villianur.
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Sustained growth
Our Tuticorin Staff Reporter writes:
Mr. Rahul Gandhi also sought votes for Democratic Progressive Alliance candidates in Tuticorin district to sustain growth in Tamil Nadu.
Addressing an election meeting at Vilathikulam, Mr. Gandhi said Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi were making concerted efforts to achieve further economic development. A victory for the DPA candidates in the 2011 election would make things possible, he said.
Thanking the people of the State for supporting the party consistently, Mr. Gandhi recalled that his family had a long-standing relationship with the people of Tamil Nadu and said he felt happy and honoured to continue the relationship. He was confident that further growth would be achieved with a Congress-led government at the Centre and a DMK government in the State. Since the Congress and DMK were maintaining a good relationship, policies had been formulated in the interest of the poor. The focus of government policies was on education, healthcare and creating employment opportunities.
Claiming that all Central welfare schemes had been well-implemented in Tamil Nadu, the Congress leader said that even the opposition parties could not dispute the claim of development in the State.
To mitigate the sufferings of the poor, midday meal programme was implemented universally. More importantly, the Right to Food Act was introduced to ensure food for all.
To bring about change, new people, who understood the importance of education, jobs and problems of youngsters, should be put forward in the political arena.