Mayawati seeks Rs 80,000 cr package from PM

Lucknow, July 20 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seriously consider providing a special financial package for all-round development of the state to the tune of Rs 80,000 crore, besides granting a 'Special Area Incentive Package' for Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal regions.

Ms Mayawati met Dr Singh in New Delhi today and put forth demands for a special financial package for the state to cut down the poverty level by 50 per cent in the Eleventh Plan period and all round development to achieve 10 per cent growth.

Addressing a press conference after her return from New Delhi, the Chief Minister said Dr Singh assured honest consideration by the Centre on the demand and announced to set up a committee to discuss the issue.

''The Prime Minister said Centre should provide maximum financial package to Uttar Pradesdh'', she said.

The Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) government had on July 17 sent a detailed memorandum to the PMO regarding the special financial package.

During her chat with Dr Singh, Ms Mayawati asked the Centre to provide the same facilities as given to Uttarakhand so that regional imbalances could be removed, particularly in the Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal regions.

She requested the Centre to provide ' Special Area Incentive Package' to the industries to be set up in Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand so that development work could be accelerated. Under the package, she has demanded exemption from central excise duty for 10 years, 100 per cent exemption from Income Tax during the first five years and 30 per cent exemption for the succeeding five years and 15 per cent grant on Rs 30 lakh capital investment.

In the package, the Uttar Pradesh government has sought Rs 9400 crore assistance for Poorvanchal to develop infrastructural facilities, besides Rs 4700 crore for the same purpose for Bundelkhand area.

Putting forth her demands, Ms Mayawati said the geographical condition of Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand regions were similar to those of Uttarakhand hence, these areas should be treated at par.

Ms Mayawati demanded Rs 23,800 crore to bring people belonging to the SC/ST, OBCs and religious minorities along with upper caste people living Below Poverty Line(BPL) to the mainstream of development.

'' Inadequate infrastructure and health facilities along with low literacy rates and scanty capital investment in different areas of the state's economy are the main causes of backwardness'', she stressed.

Likewise, she demanded special financial assistance for some selected schemes to the tune of Rs 22,000 crore, chalked out to provide employment opportunities under agriculture and other sectors.'' This proposal will augment the growth rate by 5 per cent'', she added.

The Uttar Pradesh government has also sought Rs 6500 crore for rural development and Panchayati Raj besides assistance of Rs 13,300 crore for other important proposals for integrated development of the state.

UNI