Rudrapur (Uttarakhand), Jan 20: Attacking the BJP government in poll-bound Uttarkhand, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today accused it of failing to sincerely implement central schemes and properly utilising funds provided to the state for carrying out developmental activities.
“If the state government had shown sincere interest in implementation of these programmes, the people of the state would have benefited more,” Singh said at an election rally here kick-starting his campaign for Congress from Kumaon region.
He claimed that the Congress rule between 2002-2007 had seen a swift pace of development in the hill state.
“The state saw a robust growth in the field of industrial development. IT parks were set up and new power projects were launched during the Congress rule. But it is a matter of regret that as soon as the BJP government took over, all such developmental activities got blocked,” he said.
“The BJP government failed to utilise the central funds given to the state under schemes meant for welfare of various sections like women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities.... I have been told that on one hand teachers are sitting on hunger strike for jobs and on the other hand, schools are facing shortage of teachers,” he said.
Singh said the UPA government has tried to make the government transparent and accountable.
Describing poverty, illiteracy, health, economic security, environment conservation and national security as the main challenges before the country, Singh appealed to the people of Uttarakhand to vote for Congress on January 30 claiming that only this party has the experience and capability to deal with these issues.
Asserting that the central government under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi has always kept in mind the interest of the state during its seven-and-a-half-year-old rule, Singh said the assistance under plan expenditure for Uttarakhand was increased three times since 2007.
Under National Agriculture development scheme, he said, the central government gave Rs 105 crore for farmers during the year 2011-12.
Nearly 84,000 farmers from Uttarakhand were benefited through irrigation development schemes, he said.
The Prime Minister said the minimum support prices of various agriculture produce also witnessed a rise during the past seven-and-a-half year rule of UPA.
Singh said the UPA government also gave Rs 475 crore for development of four cities of Uttarakhand under Jawaharlal Nehru National Renewal Urban Mission.
While Rs 71 crore were given for modernisation of police, 14 new trains were also started in Uttarakhand, he said, adding the centre also sanctioned an amount of Rs 4300 crore for Rishikesh-Karnprayag railway line.
He said the centre also provided an NIT, an IIM at Kashipur and an AIIMS at Rishikesh.
Singh said the Congress-led government at the centre knows the significance of river Ganga for the people and so it has initiated projects worth Rs 155 crore under Mission Clean Ganga with a target to put a complete check on the flow of industrial effluent into the river by 2030.
The Prime Minister said the problems of SC, ST, women and minorities can only be overcome by launching special programmes and the Congress-led government at the centre has started several such programmes.
He listed the 100 days employment scheme in rural areas, special scholarship scheme for minorities, the implementation of Right to Education and mid-day meal programme.
