Rahul accuses UP govt of not cooperating in development work

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of not cooperating in setting up of industries in the state.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of not cooperating in setting up of industries in the state,especially in his Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.

“We want to set up a Rs.3,000 crore paper mill which will benefit 25,000 people. I know you (farmers) are ready to give land for development of Amethi but the UP government has stopped it. They say there is no land,we cannot give it,” Gandhi told a gathering here.

The 39-year-old Congress general secretary was speaking at a function after inaugurating a unit of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on the first day of the three-day visit to his constituency. Union Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his deputy Arun Yadav were also present.

In his brief speech,Rahul said in the last five years of UPA government,a number of factories,schools and an IIIT have been set up in Amethi. “We have done a lot of work in the last five years,” he said.

Gandhi said there was a severe power problem in the state and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had taken the initiative to sort it out by signing the nuclear deal. Referring to the proposed paper mill in his constituency,he said the Centre will pay for the land and give employment to one person from each family whose land is acquired.

“We will provide employment in Amethi. But all of us have to work together for bringing power and employment,” he said. Hitting out at the UP government,Deshmukh said for Jagdishpur paper mill,the Centre has given all necessary clearances,including environmental clearance.

“If we get land tomorrow,we can lay the foundation anytime. We want to bring new schemes for the area but we are not getting land from the state government,” the minister said.

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Deshmukh said Gandhi wants to give so much to the area and state. But,his dreams can be fulfilled only if the state government holds a similar view,he said. During his visit to Amethi,Gandhi will inspect implementation of various Central government welfare schemes like the rural job guarantee scheme NREGA and Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification scheme.