Mayawati blames on other parties for Bundelkhand situation

Lucknow, Jan 25 (UNI) Bundelkhand issue is yet to die down in Uttar Pradesh as Chief Minister Mayawati renewed attack on the Centre and the previous governments in the state for the dismal situation in the drought-hit region for the past four years.

Ms Mayawati has shot off a letter to Governor T V Rajeswar today about the entire situation of Bundelkhand alleging that the Centre was not considering the financial package demanded by the state government for the all round development of the region.

In her three-page letter to the Governor, Ms Mayawati pointed out that recently Mr Rajeswar had visited some places in Bundelkhand to oversee the relief work as he did not have time in the past.

''When the Centre can sanction Rs 3,750 crore for Vidharba in 2006 and Rs 1900 crore as loan relief package for the farmers of the states of Maharastra, Karnatak, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, then why such biased attitude against UP'', she questioned while stating that it was unfortunate that the Centre was not granting Rs 2797 crore sought as a loan for waiving of debts of the farmers.

Ms Mayawati also urged the Centre to amend Schedule-1 of the popular National Rural Employment Gurantee Act(NREGA) to include the works for construction of school, panchayat buildings and cleaning of the drainage in the villages under the ACT so that more people could be engaged for employment.

''I had already written to the PM for the amendment in the NREGA so that the development scenario of the villages could be changed,'' she asserted.

Later addressing a press conference here, the CM said the Governor had been urged to impress upon the Centre to sanction the financial package Rs 80,000 crore for the entire state, particularly Rs 7016 crore for the Bundelkhand region.

In her brief address, the BSP supremo made it clear that the BSP had ruled the state on four occassions for about three years where Congress had been in the power for 38 years and others for the remaining period. ''BSP cannot be held responsible for the miseries as other parties have ruled the state for maximum tenure,'' she said.

Stating that the state government had already chalked out a plan for a financial package of Rs 1600 crore for the Bundelkhand region, she said the previous Samajwadi Party regime had only distributed relief in Jalaun and Jhansi districts in 2005-06 ignoring other districts.

Highlighting in detail about the works done by her government in the Bundelkhand region, the CM said already Rs 415 crore has been sanctioned for the relief and developmental works with the state government increasing the minimum compensation amount from Rs 250 to Rs 1000.

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