Cong lambasts UP CM for 'irresponsible statement'

Lucknow, Feb 3 (UNI) The Congress today termed Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati's statement of supressing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) on coming to power at the Centre a direct attack on the interests of Dalits.

''Mayawati's statement during the Hardwar rally yesterday is an irresponsible statement,'' UP Congress Committee (UPCC) president Rita Bahuguna Joshi maintained.

''It proves she is against the welfare of poors and Dalits,'' the Congress leader added.

The NREGS targets to provide at least 100 days employment to the poor, to enable them to earn bread and butter...oppossing this scheme is unpathetic, Dr Joshi claimed.

''It would have been better, if Ms Mayawati had thought of development of the drought-hit Bundelkhand region,'' she noted.

''On his recent visit to the drought affected area, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi had found that the NREGS was running in a dismal condition in the state...the fact being eligible are not being benefitted under the scheme,'' Dr Joshi underlined.

She further charged that Ms Mayawati was busy taking out rallies in other states with a view to rule the Centre.

The CM had yesterday termed the Rojgar Guarantee Yojana, which provides 100 days employment in a year at the wages of Rs 100 per day, floated by the Central government as ''mockery''.

''The day our party comes to power at the Centre, we shall scrap this Yojana and launch the projects to provide employment to all the unemployed,'' she had declared.

UNI JAS ATI SB DB1831