UPA would not allow Mizos to starve from famine: Sonia

Aizawl, Jun 14 (UNI) UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi today came down heavily on the Mizo National Front government for 'misutilising' central funds, meant to combat famine in Mizoram.

Sonia Gandhi was on a day visit to the poll-bound Mizoram to assess the ground reality of famine situation following the gregarious bamboo flowering.

After arriving at Lengpui Airport at 0900 hours, about two hours late than scheduled due to rains, the Congress party chief airdashed to the southern parts of Mizoram and visited some villages by roads.

These areas are worst-hit by the food shortage following the bamboo flowering related boom in rats population last year.

Addressing a huge crowd on her arrival from the villages at the airport this afternoon, Sonia said she had seen with her own eyes how the MNF government had failed to tackle the Mautam (bamboo flowering) famine despite huge Central funds allocated to combat famine.

She said she had been told by the villagers that the famine funds had never reached them. She also accused the MNF government of misusing the NREGS funds, otherwise the famine situation in the rural areas would have been better.

She instructed the Congress party workers to monitor the Mizoram government in implementing the various central schemes, and said that Lal Thanhawla (Mizoram Pradesh Congress president) was there to report the misdeeds of the Mizoram government to the Centre.

Sonia Gandhi asserted that the UPA government would never allow Mizos to starve and would do anything to prevent them from starvation.

The AICC chief also made it clear that her visit was not to campaign for the state assembly polls due this November, but to inspect the famine situation in rural Mizoram.

Except for Sangau village which she skipped, Sonia's programme was as per scheduled, according to Congress sources here.

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