Mulayam lashes out at Centre for step motherly treatment

New Delhi, July 3 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today charged the Centre with meting out a step-motherly treatment to the State in matters relating to development and for effecting wheat imports even though his state was capable of meeting the shortfall.

"The Centre is importing 35 lakh tonnes of wheat at more than Rs 1,000 per quintal. They could as well have picked up wheat from the mandis of Uttar Pradesh at the rate of Rs 800 to Rs 850 per quintal.

The farmers of the State alone can provide 50 lakh tonnes of wheat," Mr Yadav told reporters while emerging from the meeting of Chief Ministers at Vigyan Bhawan regarding Regional Consultations with the Northern States on the Approach Paper to the Eleventh Plan(2007-11).

He said wheat imports had demoralised the farmers of his State.

The other Chief Ministers present at the meeting were: Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Uttranchal Chief Minister N D Tiwari could not attend the meeting and was represented by the State's Chief Secretary N Ramachandaran. All other States, except Uttar Pradesh, are Congress-ruled.

Mr Yadav said the Centre was assisting the setting up of power plants in various states. Howeve, it has done little in this regard for Uttar Pradesh.

"But when I bring a private party for manufacturing power in the State, the Centre is putting road blocks," he said.

Extension of Nuclear Power House located at Narora has not been undertaken so far. Unless Central projects of at least 4,000 MW additonal power capacity were not established in the State, it would be difficult to fulfil the requirements of agriculture and industrial sectors.

Mr Yadav said the Central government's package to Uttranchal has negated UP's efforts at rapid industrialisation. The Special package to Uttranchal, which entails concessions in income tax and central excise duties, has resulted in the flight of industries from his state to the newly created state.

He, however, clarified that he was not against the special package to Uttranchal, but wanted similar facilities for his State.

Mr Yadav asked the Congress to stop shedding crocodile tears on price rise and said the anti-farmer and anti-poeple policies of the Central government had resulted in the phenomenal price increase.

On a question of support to the UPA government at the Centre, Mr Yadav said he was instrumental in installing it. For had he not got the BJP defeated in Uttar Pradeh, the UPA would not have come to power.

He said the question of his party withdrawing support to the Union government was irrelevant as its main source of strength was the outside support by the Left parties.

On a question on Former Prime Miniser V P Singh's latest book' 'Manzilo ke age safar,' Mr Yadav said the veteran politican should have written a more acceptable and meaningful book to be read by all.

On the allegation made by Mr V P Singh that he had come to power because of support from the RSS and BJP, the UP Chief Minister said he had not won a single election because of their support.

On the other hand, he said, Mr Singh came to power because of the support of RSS and BJP.

UNI GS AT ND1934