'Non-Cong regimes responsible for Bundelkhand's dismal state'

Mahoba, Dec 10 (UNI) A Congress delegation today held the successive non-Congress governments in Uttar Pradesh responsible for dismal state of the drought-hit Bundelkhand region.

The delegation, which has come to take cognizance of the situation in the drought-hit region, said if the Centre's welfare and employment-oriented schemes were implemented honestly, situation would not have worsened.

The delegates led by former UP minister and senior Congress leader Arun Singh added that they had already requested the union government to release Rs 15 crore to control hunger deaths, besides improving water supply and irrigation facilities.

Talking to reporters, Mr Singh alleged ''the successive non-Congress regimes have always ignored the interests of Bundelkhand farmers. The drought-hit peasants are reeling under the burden of huge debts and committing suicide. But, the previous governments always turned a Nelson's eye to it.'' Reproaching the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav government, he charged that the SP leader had always been discriminating against Bundelkhand. The Centre alloted funds worth several crores of rupees for the region's development. Sadly, the funds were either misutilised or went into his pocket.

''Even Chief Minister Mayawati is no less. She is unconcerned about the development of Bundelkhand and only busy misutilising funds by beautifying parks and installing idols,'' he alleged.

UNI