Firdaus Khan
Balrampur (Uttar Pradesh). On the third day of his tour to Uttar Pradesh Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the BSP and SP maintaining that both the parties forgot the people and work selectively. Addressing a huge Congress workers’ gathering at Balrampur AICC General Secretary said that the present BSP Government has lost touch with the people and has been plundering the Central funds meant for the poor.
Referring the UPA Government policies Congress General Secretary said that the UPA Government at the centre or the Congress run governments in various states are working sincerely for the common man, poor, dalit, adivasis and the underprivileged.
Highlighting the significance of the MGNREGA scheme, Rahul Gandhi said, “through the MGNREGA policy every poor person is assured of a minimum of 100 days jobs in a year with a daily wage of Rs 120, thus Rs 12,000 per year is guaranteed. This is not just a scheme but a law. Even if the government wants to stop giving the amount it cannot do so. Ask anybody in Andhra Pradesh or Kerala about the most beneficial scheme of the Central Government. Without any doubt most will say it is MGNREGA. You can search internet. You can yourself see the entire details of the scheme and the list of all the beneficiaries and the transactions there.”
Once again questioning the stand of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on MGNREGA, Rahul Gandhi commented, “when all other states are admitting that MGNREGA is the most useful policy, UP chief minister says that the scheme is of no use. In October 2007 Mayawati during a public rally had said that the MGNREGA is not beneficial for the state. But I request her to go to the people and ask them about the scheme. Everyone will tell her the benefits."
Regarding the misuse of central funds by the BSP Government the Congress General Secretary alleged that the central government has sanctioned thousands of crores for Uttar Pradesh. Unfortunately, it did not reach the people . The amount is going into the pockets of ministers, BSP leaders and bureaucrats.
Rahul Gandhi also expressed his concern over the pathetic conditions in the hospitals in the state. “I went to a hospital in UP where some painting and renovation works were going on. I went inside. There were no doctors, patients or nurses. Dogs were scampering inside. I asked them what is going on. They said that Mayawati is on a tour to this area and she will be visiting the hospital and therefore the renovation. As she was expected to take the road route so the roads were being repaired and the hospital building was being painted,” he said.

Once again reiterating his opinion that a leader should go to the people Rahul Gandhi said, “till a leader goes to the poor, stays with them, eat at their home and drink water from their houses, he cannot understand poverty. Till the leaders understand the poverty and their pains UP cannot be changed."
Indicating the bad living conditions in the state Congress General Secretary added “Your people go to Mumbai, Delhi or Haryana for job. Your people run taxis in Mumbai. Your people made the metro in Delhi. But you are not able to do anything in your own state and instead they travel thousands of miles to earn a living. Once I was travelling by train through Gorakhpur. I happened to interact with a labour (painter). He told me that people have to migrate to other places as they are unable to find a job in Uttar Pradesh. If we go to Mumbai Shiv Sena people threaten us. Still we are forced to work there.”
Lamenting over the poor infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh Rahul Gandhi said that the funds meant for the roads and other amenities are being diverted to the pockets of ministers and contractors’ pockets. We sent fertilizers to Uttar Pradesh. But they are being black-marketed to Nepal.
Once again expressing concerns over the misuse of JSY scheme Rahul Gandhi said, “The scheme meant for the benefit of the poor women is also being misused in Uttar Pradesh.  Every poor woman is entitled to get Rs 1,400 under this scheme to meet the expenses for the delivery in a hospital and poor women in all other states get the benefit. But in Uttar Pradesh the money do not reach them. Instead they are forced to bribe the hospitals and authorities.”
 He added, “we got the reports of the JSY implementation through RTI and the information we got was shocking. I heard a case that a poor lady delivered a baby in a hospital and instead of giving her Rs.1,400 hospital people asked her Rs 1,000 as bribe. They threatened that she will not be allowed to take her baby alongwith her if she won’t give Rs 1,000.This is the condition in UP.”
Taking a dig at the Samajwadi Party Rahul Gandhi quipped, “SP talked about the dalits and minorities but they joined hands with Kalyan Singh. During their regime police stations were run by the criminals. They did not allow people to lodge FIR even. Till a leader go to people and listen to them he won’t be able to realize their troubles.”
Rahul Gandhi criticized the forceful land acquisition by the Mayawati Government in the Ganga and Yamuna expressways accusing that she grabbed lands from the poor farmers and sold it to the builders. “In Tappal and Bhatta-Parsaul a lot of farmers were assaulted by the BSP Government. Police fired at the agitating farmers when they were fighting against the wrong and forceful land acquisition by the UP Government. No one from either BSP or SP took pain to go there. But the Congress went there, listened to them and understood their problems. Not only that, the Congress led Government at the centre drafted a new Land Acquisition Bill. But some parties have been opposing it. Who is the loser? It is the common man, poor farmers and villagers are the losers.  But we will not let it happen.”