Throwing stones from Glass Houses

Only 10 paise out of Rs 100 reaches beneficiaries: Rahul

GANGTOK, April 25 – AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi today said that mismanagement of Central funds continued to be a major bane in the implementation of the Central development and welfare schemes for a long time and claimed ‘only 10 paise out of Rs 100 reaches beneficiaries even now’.

“My father Rajiv Gandhi used to say that only ten paise out of Rs One reached genuine people, but I say that the needy people still get 10 paise out of Rs 100 under the Central development and welfare schemes,” he told a public meeting at Paljor Stadium here.

The country has no shortage of funds, but the same has to be used judiciously so that genuine and needy people benefit from development and welfare projects, Gandhi said. The youth leader added that it was the State Governments that should be blamed for the unsatisfactory implementation of the Central schemes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

The Centre could only design programmes or schemes for the benefit of the people, but the onus lies with the State Government for implementing them to ensure that the fruits of such schemes reached the needy, he said. Rahul pointed out that a number of States have not sincerely implemented NRGEA, which was meant to provide 100 days employment to poor people.

Discounting the impact of the global meltdown in the past two years on the Indian economy, Rahul said that the country has made rapid strides in terms of economic development in the past five years under the leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The country has registered a growth of nine per cent during the five-year tenure of the UPA Government, he said and claimed that there was no shortage of funds for undertaking development work.

However, the funds should be properly utilised for the implementation of the Central welfare and development schemes, like NREGA and Mid-day meal schemes, the Congress leader said.

Gandhi, a popular youth leader, stressed formulation and implementation of policies and plans for the benefit of youth, who he said, have two major requirement – education and employment.

“There should be a thrust on providing quality education to the youth and giving them jobs in all States,” he said.

The Northeastern States should especially focus on the twin requirements of the youths, Gandhi said and praised the youths of this region for being educated, skilled and hardworking. The MP from Amethi also urged the youth to join the mainstream politics in large numbers to change its present dynamics.

The Congress general secretary also sought to correct media reports that it was his maiden visit to Sikkim and said that in fact, he was visiting the State for the second time, but after a long gap of over 20 years. “I had spent a month in Sikkim to complete the mountaineering course from the Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute (SGMI) at the age of 18,” he informed. “I will visit the State again after the polls,” he said.– PTI

We have made good progress since Rajeev Gandhi was assasinated in 1991.
Before his death the poor man (God rest his soul) lamented that out of every Rs 100.00 which is sanctioned by the government hardly Rs 10.00 reaches the beneficiaries.
Now his son says that hardly Rs 0.10 out of Rs 100/- reaches the beneficiaries.
I would like to thank Rahul for being frank and honest.
He has put the seal on what we already knew.
But he seems to be criticising the non-congress ruled states.
He forgets that quite a few states are ruled by the congress party.
At least the situation should be better there.
Is it?
We will ask the people of the congress ruled states to answer that.