Congress president Sonia Gandhi has thrown her weight behind the partys charge against the Uttar Pradesh government about faulty implementation of Central welfare schemes. On the first day of her three-day tour in Rae Bareli,addressing a workers meeting in Sareni Block,she said it was the responsibility of the state government to ensure implementation of the schemes. But everyone knows about the attitude of the state government towards Rae Bareli and Amethi. Under the circumstances,she told the workers,it was their responsibility to monitor the implementation of development schemes at the grassroot level. Kendra se karodon rupey ate hain. Hum sabko mil ke iski nigrani karni hai,(Funds worth crores are being sent by the Centre for development and now we have to monitor its implementation), she said. Listing the achievements of the Centre on completion of the first year of UPA II,she specifically mentioned reservation for women. The Centre,she said,has been successful in moving forward the 50 per cent reservation in panchayats for women as against earlier 33 per cent. She also mentioned the Right to Education and told her audience that the party has not forgotten its promise for Right to Food. Counting the construction of Dalmau bridge among the Centres achievements,she said the Centre ensured the construction of the bridge against all odds. Its foundation had been laid by former prime minister Indira Gandhi. There had been a controversy over its inauguration recently,with the state trying to vie for the credit. Earlier in the day,Gandhi inaugurated a newly constructed post office building in Sareni block of Rae Bareli and paid surprise visit to Dehta Kala village,where she attended a chaupal to hear the problems of the locals. They told her about the problem of electricity and poor implementation of schemes especially the issuance of BPL cards and lack of proper drinking water supply. To this,she told villagers that the Centre is making its best efforts to fund welfare schemes,but it is the state government which fails to implement them. Later in the day,she was scheduled to inaugurate Wi-Max service of BSNL in Dalmau the third area in Rae Bareli to be included under Wi-Max service of BSNL. The two other areas are Fursatganj and Tilohi. Sources in BSNL said 19 more points will be covered under Wi-Max in rural areas of Rae Bareli. On her way to Dalmau,some local women stopped Gandhi. They wanted to attract her attention to the ongoing electricity crises in the area. Gandhi again maintained that it was the responsibility of the state. Later in the day,she undertook a surprise visit to some more villages on her way to Unchahar.
