BJP takes credit for Cong initiatives: Digvijay

Bhopal, Mar 12 (UNI) Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh today arraigned Madhya Pradesh's BJP government in the Assembly for ''taking credit'' for several projects that were ''conceptualised or initiated'' during his decade-long regime.

''The BJP government was trumpeting as its achievements the implementation of various projects initiated during Congress rule,'' Mr Singh said while initiating the general debate on the state's budgetary demands for 2007-08.

Countering the government claim, Mr Singh claimed that computerisation of government treasuries, construction of toll roads with private partnership, enhancing power generation and irrigation facilities, the District Poverty Initiatives Programme and Livelihood projects were finalised during his regime.

Claiming that the UPA government was extending liberal assistance to states, he said that the BJP regime had not shown the courtesy to put up pictures of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in offices and circuit houses or to acknowledge the increased allotment to the state. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, earlier covering 18 districts of Madhya Pradesh, had been extended to 13 more districts, he added.

Quoting data from the Economic Survey report presented in the Assembly recently, the former Chief Minister said that the state's Gross Domestic Product growth declined to 6.2 per cent during BJP rule as compared to 8 per cent during the Congress regime.

Referring to the then opposition BJP's criticism, of his government, that the state was being pushed into a debt trap, the Congress leader said that the state availed loans totalling Rs 18,440 crore during his regime, but the debt burden rose by Rs 21,610 crore during the BJP dispensation.

Mr Singh extensively quoted the Economic Survey report in an attempt to nail down the BJP government for alleged baseless claims of development. Referring to Industry Minister Babulal Gaur's repeated claim that the state was poised for investment of over Rs one lakh crore in the industry sector, Mr Singh -- quoting the report -- said that the actual investment was only Rs 1,393 crore during BJP rule.

UNI