NDA states attack UPA over inflation,Central schemes

Taking the lead,Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi termed inflation a great threat to countrys development.

Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states mounted a strong attack on the UPA government over price rise and execution of Central schemes at the National Development Council meeting in New Delhi on Saturday.

Taking the lead,Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi termed inflation a great threat to countrys development. The Centre,according to him,had made little effort to tackle the constraints of supply. The agricultural sector, he said,is practically stagnating with insignificant increases in production of food grain.

Modi also attacked the Centre for what he called attempts to tinker with the federal structure of the country,particularly with respect to the implementation of development schemes. He said: I wish to draw the attention of this august body to attempts being made increasingly by the Central government to tinker with the federal structure mandated by the Constitution. His suggestion to the Centre: Observe federal dharma.

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called upon the Centre to be flexible when it came to social welfare schemes.

Referring to the Right to Education,Kumar said legal obligations under the RTE have no relationship with availability of states finances. Bihar,he pointed out,did not have enough funds for its implementation.

The Right to Food,proposed to be implemented through another legislation,he maintained,was set to multiply these problems.

Though he acknowledged that the Food Security Bill sought to improve the performance of existing Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) with entitlements for vulnerable categories,Kumar said it passes huge financial implications to the states. He advocated a system of cash transfers instead of stipulated TPDS reforms,saying the latter is time-consuming

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan suggested several electoral reforms,including direct election of the Prime Minister and chief ministers and a state funding of elections. I strongly recommend state funding of elections to curb misuse of money during elections. All elections,according to him,should be held concurrently once in five years.

Chouhan called for stringent measures,including seizure of property piled through graft,to tackle corruption. The Chief Minister sought financial assistance from the Centre to improve road network in Madhya Pradesh. He said: The Centre had sanctioned road projects of Rs 1,400 crore,but the requisite funds have not been made available.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal saw a major military threat from China and called upon the Centre to set up a Himalayan Regiment in the Army for fighting in hilly terrain.