UP diverting Rural Employment Scheme funds: Cong

Lucknow, Sep 1 (UNI) The Congress today charged the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh with diverting central funds worth crores of rupees meant for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and said it would present the Prime Minister with a status report of the project next month.

The party claimed that while UP had been provided with Rs 332 crore for the scheme in 22 districts, the state government has so far spent only Rs 90 crore.

''I fear the funds are being diverted...If the funds are being diverted for other projects, it is a serious issue. The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) would raise the issue in the ongoing assembly session through a question. If the question fails to mature, we would use other means to highlight the issue,'' said CLP leader Pramod Tiwari.

AICC secretary in charge of UP affairs Praveen Rashtrapal said the state government had not used even a single rupee from the funds till May. ''So far they have used a mere Rs 90 crore,'' he added.

He lamented while the state government was alleging step-motherly treatment by the Centre in providing funds, it was not utilising the money given for a prestigious project.

''UP had been provided with the maximum funds. BJP ruled states like Gujarat and Maharashtra are utilising the funds in a much better way,'' he claimed, quoting figures.

Mr Rashtrapal alleged the state government was spreading disinformation about the scheme by terming it as part of the Jawahar Rozgar Yojna. ''It is untrue, the NREGS is a completely fresh scheme...the Centre has not rechristened the Jawahar Rozgar Yojna,'' he added.

He claimed that Block Development Officers (BDOs) and Chief Development Officers (CDOs) were demanding a 20 per cent cut from gram pradhans to implement the scheme.

In a bid to highlight the Scheme and the state government's alleged failure in implementing it, the UPCC today launched a month-long 'jan jagran' rally from the state capital.

The rallyists would carry with them one lakh application forms required to be filled to get job cards. Villagers are provided with employment on the basis of these cards by the district administration.

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