Surat, 7 December 2012

Addressing a rally in Mandvi in south Gujarat, Congress party’s national President Sonia Gandhi questioned the outcome of Gujarat government’s Rs 15,000 crore Van Bandhu scheme and Rs 12,000 crore Sagar Khedu scheme. Sonia gave credit of development in this area to Congress-ruled governments in past and Congress-led UPA government in centre.

-The state BJP government Over-hyped propaganda for Rs 15,000 crore Van bandhu scheme, but where did the money go? What about promises given to tribal? Rs 12,000 crore Sagar Khedu scheme failed to improve lives of fishermen.

-Youths are unemployed, children are victim of malnutrition, lacking of education and health facilities, law and order situation is not good, tribal people have not witnessed any betterment. If government was attentive, such problems couldn’t be there. The BJP government unfortunately murdered the movement of forest cooperatives.

-Our UPA govt gave away thousands of crores of rupees without any bias, but where did the money go? Many villages have no drinking water source. Where did 2.25 lakh water bodies and dams go? What about your rights to jungle land? BJP showed you only dreams. What about your right to till jungle land that UPA govt granted? Where is the development that was promised to you?”

-It was UPA’s Pradhanmantri gramin sadak yojna due to which you have good roads. It was Congress that constructed Ukai dam, it was Congress that laid foundations of south Gujarat’s agriculture and industry growth. Many small industries arrived in this area under the Congress governments. Today Dahej is the biggest industrial area thanks to Rajiv Gandhi who initiated the efforts for this cause. Even Ankleshwar was developed under Congress. Eastern Gujarat will witness even more development thanks to conversion of a highway there into national highway. Chhota Udepur, Navsari and Rajpipla are to get broad gauge connection.

-Sonia recalled Indira Gandhi twice in her speech. She said Congress has always maintained special relation with South Gujarat. She remembered Jugatram Dave, Zinabhai Darji, Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel and added that they practiced what they preached, contrary to those people who today preach but don’t practice. Sonia reminded that this was the area that gave first and only tribal Chief Minister to Gujarat(Amarsinh Chaudhary). Sonia praised south Gujarat’s people as humble and honest. We will fulfill our promises and will being revolutionary change in Gujarat.

-We waived crores of rupees of debt of farmers. We started direct purchase of cotton and increased MSP.