Garibi=hatao not a slogan, but approach: Cong

New Delhi, Oct 10 (UNI) The Congress today clarified that the Garibi Hatao(banish poverty)was an approach, not just a slogan, adopted by the the Congress-led coalition government at the Centre which, in effect, meant that all the UPA allies had treated poverty as the biggest issue being faced by the country.

"That all the UPA allies have acknowledged poverty as an issue is something to be welcomed," AICC General Secretary and Chairperson of the Congress Media Cell Janardan Dwivedi said.

"What is important is that the first Congress-led coalition Government had acknowledged that poverty was an issue,"he said in an informal chat with mediapersons here.

Mr Dwivedi pointed out that poverty had always been the concern of the Congress and there was nothing new about the approach towards poverty adopted by the Congress-led coalition Government.

The Congress had always been of the view that "aam admi (Common man) "must be the beneficiary of whatever reforms the Government was undertaking.The problem of poverty was always there but this signified a sincere attempt by the Government to make a dent on the problem.

The efforts of the Congress Government to remove poverty in the past had resulted in uplifting the status of the common man, Mr Dwivedi asserted.

UNI YS YA DB2001