Elect Congress govts in States to avoid 'friction':Prithviraj

Panaji, May 27 (UNI) The election of Congress governments in the states would help avoid ''friction'' with the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, says Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chauhan.

''It is the for people in the states to decide whether they should vote for the party ruling the Centre or otherwise to ensure their faster development,'' he said.

Interacting with mediapersons at the Congress House here today, Mr Chauhan said people should elect the party with a clear majority in the June 2 hustings in Goa so that it need not depend on support of any small time parties. The Congress would not seek support of other parties for forming a Government as it was poised to emerge victorious, he said.

Replying to a quetion, he said the Congress had not yet come out with its stand on President A P J Abdul Kalam's suggestion favouring a two-party system in India ''as it required a wider debate and social acceptance''.

The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre had belied expectations of the opposition parties that it would not last longer, but had recetly completed three years and was poised to complete the full term in the office, Mr Chauhan said.

The Centre, he said, was trying to evolve a comprehensive policy on SEZ's soon so that it benefitted the land owners with jobs to their kin besides recurring benefits. ''The SEZs which do not affect fragile environment and ecology could prove the best instruments of economic development and solving unemployment in states like Goa where tourism continues to be one of the major earners'', he said.

The Congress should be given a fair chance to serve Goa for at least another term without any hurdle as the party at the Centre was confident of projecting India as an emerging super power.

''The mere two- year term given to the Goa Congress is very short and it could present an efficient and stable government if voted back to the power with a clear mandate,'' Mr Chauhan said.

On the other hand, he said, the BJP government had failed to deliver goods though given a chance to rule Goa even as its leader was facing a CBI probe now for irregularities in infrastructure development works related to IFFI-2004.

He recalled how the BJP government in Delhi was thrown out in 1994 as also the Parrikar government in Goa which was indicted by the CAG on several fronts.

Denouncing the erstwhile NDA government for mismanagement of economy, resulting in slow down in agriculture and GDP growth, Mr Chauhan lauded the UPA government for fuelling economic boom marked with 9 per cent GDP growth.

Lashing at certain BJP MP's for facing charges of indulging in human trafficking and cash for query scam besides many other scandals, Mr Chauhan sought support of the electorate for its clean image and committment to progress and democracy.

UNI