Saraini (Rae Bareli): Blaming the Mayawati
government for various problems plaguing the people, Congress
President Sonia Gandhi today said "a sorry state of affairs"
continued despite several crores of rupees being provided to
Uttar Pradesh by the Centre.
"Though the Centre is providing crores and crores of
rupees to the state for development and welfare schemes, I
have been told about the problems like shortage of seeds,
fertiliser and potable water being faced by the people of UP,"
she said at a meeting of party workers here.
Countering the Chief Minister's repeated allegation that
the Centre was meting out step-motherly treatment to the
state, Gandhi sarcastically said the attitude of the state
government towards the development of Rae Bareli and Amethi
was well known to everyone.
She asked party workers to work unitedly and raise their
voice on development issues so that the benefit of the ongoing
schemes reached the masses.
The Congress chief asked partymen to keep a close vigil on
centrally-sponsored schemes to ensure that real people got
benefit. She also asked party workers to discharge their
social responsibilities sincerely and termed Congress as the
"heart beat of the country.
Earlier, on the first day of her three-day visit to Rae
Bareli, she inaugurated a newly constructed building of a
sub-post office and paid tributes at Shaheed Smarak to martyrs
who laid down their lives during the freedom movement.
Highlighting the achievements of the second stint of
the UPA government, Gandhi referred to Women Reservation Bill
and Right to Education Act.
Women Reservation Bill was a step towards realising Rajiv
Gandhi's dream of providing 33 per cent reservation to women
in Lok Sabha and the state assemblies, she said.
Education is the key to economic development and better
life and under the RTE 20 per cent seats in private schools
would be reserved for poor students, she added.
Citing various development work being carried out in Rae
Bareli in the past few years, the Congress President said
people are realising the benefits.
She said the UPA government was making all efforts for the
welfare of poor, farmers and other sections of the society.
Recalling the glorious history of Congress, Gandhi said it
was not easy to lead the country.
Terming Uttar Pradesh as the most important state, she
said Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and
Rajiv Gandhi were all born here and had led the country.
"I draw inspiration from them and I am working with the
same aims and objectives," she said.
Gandhi also inaugurated Wi-Max services of the BSNL in
Dalmau and inquired about its utility for the local people.
Later, she undertook an extensive tour of her constituency
paying unscheduled visits to different villages.
PTI
First Published: Monday, May 17, 2010, 23:50